Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” In keeping with this inspiring lesson, contributing to the local community has always been the cornerstone of my own core values and THE COLLECTION. From the smiles on the faces of the children I see at our annual toy drives — to the happiness felt when we grant wishes to children in life-threatening situations — to knowing our hospitals are strengthened — philanthropy is a gift.
With this said, one of the charity events I most look forward to — year after year — is the Jackson Memorial Foundation Golden Angels Gala. As a “Silver Seraphim” myself, this year’s gala takes place on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at Ice Palace Studios — with all proceeds benefiting Jackson Memorial Hospital.THE COLLECTION was proud to donate a 2014 Audi A5 2.0T Cabriolet quattro to for an exclusive raffle during the Gala. That’s huge!
In fact, more than 600 business and community leaders, physicians and philathropists attend the Golden Angels Gala with a willingness and commitment to help support the Jackson Health System. Participants typically purchase tables at the $10,000 and $25,000 levels and attendance is always overwhelming. During the gala, 85 tickets were sold for a chance to win the Audi A5, with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward assisting Jackson Health System with advancing its status as a world-class medical facility.
This year’s gala had a “Meet Jack” theme, an entertaining way of presenting a historical perspective of Jackson Health System and a sneak preview of its future. Guests enjoyed the evening of fun and fantasy in the ballroom, which was decorated as a replica railroad station from the era that Jackson began serving the Miami-Dade community. The ballroom featured four “Jack” stations for delectable appetizers, specialty drinks and live entertainment, aptly named as “Jack and Jill,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Black Jack” and “Jack Frost.”
Emmy-award winning news anchor Laurie Jennings of WPLG-TV was the master of ceremony for the evening. Through a wonderful feat of engineering, DJ Troubles kept attendees dancing by spinning inside the Audi A5 Cabriolet in the center of the dance floor. Later in the evening lucky winner Philippa Carsley got to go home in the Audi A5. This open-top four-seater in the mid-size segment from Audi is sporty, comfortable and stunning. Local dance brand Higher Ground also played amazing live hits from the past 50 years.
The Audi A5 offers drivers and passengers exceptional performance and safety. For the 2014 Model Year, the A5 – powered by the 2.0 TFSI® turbocharged and direct-injected, four cylinder engine – gets an increase in horsepower to 220. The Audi Convenience package – which includes Bluetooth® technology, HomeLink®, Audi Music Interface, and the driver information system – is now standard on 2014 A5 models. The Audi A5 model line continues to set standards for sportiness and efficiency in the mid-size segment of the premium market.
