Community Happenings
BIG Wish Celebrity Gala A Big Success
More than 350 guests attended the star-studded event held at the Marriot KeyCenter including Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Mike Brown and General Manager Danny Ferry. Accepting the honors for the evening were Len Komoroski, president, Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena and Jeff Perry, vice president of Quicken Loans, along with Mike Brown and Danny Ferry.
Several Cavs players were on hand for the event including Danny Green, Darnell Jackson, Anthony Parker, Leon Powe and Delonte West. Lake Erie Monster players, several Cavs Legends, and additional local celebrities were also on hand for the festivities.
The program included a video highlighting a recent Cleveland Cavaliers wish experience, featuring Shaquille O'Neal meeting 14-year-old, T’Shawn, who is battling Sickle Cell Anemia. The Cavs have granted more than 20 wishes since 2003 and several Make-A-Wish® families were on hand for the magical evening.
Nearly $40,000 was raised during the live and silent auction, which will grant seven northeast Ohio children’s magical wishes.
The ballroom was beautifully decorated with a Cleveland Cavaliers theme courtesy of Title Sponsor Catan Fashions. Additional Sponsors were Cleveland Cavaliers, Quicken Loans, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Accenture, Olympic Steel and The Cleveland Clinic.
"The Make-A-Wish Foundation is grateful to the Cleveland Cavaliers for their ongoing commitment to our mission and to making wishes come true for our children with life threatening medical conditions. The impact that the players and the wish experiences have on our kids and their well-being is immeasurable. We are proud of our partnership and were pleased to honor them for all that they do for our kids and for our community," remarked Kelly Kleinschmidt, executive director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, Northeast Ohio Region.
