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2012 Everglades Foundation Benefit announces
blockbuster lineup –
Dave Matthews, Surfing Champion Kelly Slater
and hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Joe Scarborough & Mika
Brzezinski
Seventh annual benefit will spotlight the
value of our water resources to celebrate Florida’s coastal
heritage
Attendees participating in the Seventh annual
For Everglades Benefit at The Breakers in Palm Beach,
Fla., on Friday, February 17 will be treated to one of the
world’s best live recording artists, Dave Matthews, who will
headline the evening event. Matthews has partnered with
leading environmental groups across the globe to raise
awareness of the need for land and water conservation
initiatives to sustain our world’s growing population.
Former Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough
and his MSNBC “Morning Joe” Co-Host Mika Brzezinski will
emcee the benefit.
Eleven-Time World Surfing Champion and
Florida native, Kelly Slater, will serve as the evening’s
Honorary Chairman — setting the water-focused, coastal style
theme for the event.
“The Everglades is surrounded by and
connected to some of the world’s best beaches, reefs,
fishing spots and surf breaks. The 2012 benefit will honor
our connection to the water and the contribution the
Everglades makes to our vibrant coastal communities,” said
Kirk Fordham, CEO, Everglades Foundation.
The event will open with cocktails, followed
by dinner, a live auction and a very special musical
performance by Dave Matthews.
“The Everglades -- a global and national
treasure that captures the imagination and support of people
all over the world -- provides the daily supply of fresh
drinking water for seven million Floridians. “For millions
of individuals and families, the beaches and countless water
bodies connected to the greater Everglades ecosystem serve
as a recreational Mecca. Anglers, surfers, paddlers,
hunters, hikers, and other explorers enjoy the vast, diverse
landscapes that make south Florida a unique destination for
lovers of the outdoors,” said Fordham.
The ForEverglades benefit raises over $2
million annually to support the science, communications,
advocacy, education, and legal programs of the Everglades
Foundation — all geared to protecting and restoring what
remains of this fragile ecosystem. The board of directors
supports all of the Foundation’s administrative and
fundraising expenses, allowing 100% of the funds raised at
the benefit to directly support these programs.
Notable musical guests who have supported the
benefit in past years include Kenny Chesney, Sting, Gloria
Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Daryl Hall and John
Oates, Diana Ross, and John Mellencamp. Prominent attendees
include Cindi and Nick Bollettieri, Chris Evert, Carl
Hiaasen, Lydia and Robert Forbes, Elaine and Ken Langone,
John McEnroe, Thalia and Tommy Mottola, Kara and Steve Ross,
and Mats Wilander, along with Jimmy Buffet and Jack Nicklaus,
who serve on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Benefit Chairmen for this year’s event
include: Sonia and Paul Tudor Jones II, Kathy and Paul
Leone, Garrison duP. Lickle, Mary Morse, Polly and David
Ober, Ashley and Mike Ramos, and Lia Reed.
To purchase tickets, contact Debbie Fife or
Samantha Miller at
(212) 245-6570, ext. 20 or email
everglades@eventassociatesinc.com.
Individual tickets start at $1,000, with preferred seating
available at $2,500. Tables range from $10,000 to $100,000.
All tickets include cocktails, dinner, musical performance
and donor recognition.
About Florida’s Relationship with the
Everglades
More than seven million people live in the
Everglades watershed and depend on its natural systems for
their livelihood, food and drinking water. Florida’s
agricultural, boating, tourism, real estate, recreational
and commercial fishing industries all depend on a healthy
Everglades ecosystem, supporting tens of thousands of jobs
and contributing billions to our economy. Its waters flow
through the Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National
Preserve, Ten Thousand Islands, National Wildlife Refuge,
Biscayne National Park and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State
Park. Together, these parks draw several million visitors
each year contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to
Florida’s tourism economy.
About the Everglades Foundation
The Everglades Foundation, Inc., is a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated
to protecting and restoring one of the world’s unique
natural ecosystems that provides economic, recreational and
life-sustaining benefits to the millions of people who
depend on its future health. Since 1993, the Everglades
Foundation has played a leadership role in advancing
Everglades restoration through the advancement of
scientifically sound and achievable solutions. The
Foundation seeks to reverse the damage inflicted on the
ecosystem and provides policymakers and the public with
honest and credible resource to help guide decision-making
on complex restoration issues. For more information, please
visit
www.evergladesfoundation.org.
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