AT SIGNATURE EVENT: JM Family Enterprises’ Maria Guttuso, from left, Erika Davis, Caren Snead Williams, Andre Hall, Allison Hall, Kendle Snead and Paul Snead. PHOTOS COURTESY OF YMCA

Staff Report

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The YMCA of South Florida’s signature fundraiser, Beach Ball 2023, gathered 600 business and community leaders at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and raised more than $720,000 to benefit the Y’s Aquatic Financial Assistance program.

During the event themed “Rock with Us!,” guests were treated to a magical evening with both live and silent auctions, on a night filled with dancing and live musical entertainment, highlighted by a remote performance by the grandfather of hip hop, Grandmaster Flash.

The funds raised provide free swim lessons and water safety instruction in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for at-risk children, teens, families, caregivers and children with special needs who are part of the Y’s Swim Buddies program.

It also includes the Y’s Mobile Aquatics program, the distribution of water watcher tags to encourage adult supervision as well as other components that help to expand the reach of water safety instruction in the community and emphasize its importance.

With formal swim lessons reducing the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%, the Y has promoted water safety for more than 100 years. Since 2016, funds generated from the Y’s annual Beach Ball Gala have made it possible to provide swim lessons and water safety education to more than 150,000 children in local communities.

“Through the tremendous support that we receive at events such as our Beach Ball, tens of thousands of South Floridians are able to reap the benefits of quality water safety instruction and drowning prevention lessons each year,” said YMCA of South Florida President and CEO Sheryl A. Woods.

“We are extremely proud to join the Y in helping to provide what is a basic component of a child’s development,” said Dr. Jennifer McCafferty-Fernandez, Beach Ball chair and senior vice president of External & Experience and chief of staff to the CEO at Nicklaus Children’s Health System, the event’s Presenting Sponsor.

Brown & Brown Insurance MiamiDade earned the YMCA of South Florida’s Life Saver Award, presented annually to a community member or organization that exemplifies the spirit of commitment to drowning prevention, providing significant support to the cause.

In addition to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Beach Ball 2023 was supported by Bacardi USA, Delta Air Lines, Miami Heat Charitable Fund, Publix Super Markets Charities, Related Group and Milner Inc., among others.

To learn more about the YMCA of South Florida and its drowning prevention initiatives, visit YMCASouthFlorida.org.