Part dinner gala, part auction house, part interactive gaming facility, and part concert hall, the eighth annual Canon Florida Classic featured something for everybody—and almost everybody showed up. The final tally stood at more than 800 guests, as well as a number of renowned athletes, such as Lawrence Taylor, Eugene "Mercury" Morris, Ted Hendricks, Rollie Fingers, Eric Dickerson, Anthony McFarland, Earl Morrall, and Ed Jones."We tried to keep everything really interactive and interesting, like having guests compete against pro football players on the Xbox 360, or having the band that was recently named the best corporate band in the country perform at hand's reach from the guests," said Jason Gol, president and C.E.O. of J Entertainment & Productions, which handled everything from set design, entertainment, and lighting to the event production, branding, and interactive gaming.
Passing the "palm tree greeters"—the stiltwalkers guarding the entrance—guests entered an area where they could bet on nearly 100 silent auction items, compete against football players on the aforementioned gaming system, or feast on four types of hors d'oeuvres: coconut shrimp with cocktail sauce, mini filet mignon with a merlot wine sauce, scallops wrapped in bacon, and vegetable quesadillas. For the silent auction, items ranged from a Pablo Picasso painting and a Jimmy Buffett guitar to jewelry and a lot of signed sports memorabilia.
When guests entered the main ballroom, they found a formal dinner area with white go-go lights, red metallic chairs, black linens, and three candle centerpieces per table surrounded by a batting cage, a basketball rim, chip golf, and inflatable games that involved shooting basketballs or throwing footballs—which many guests were playing. If they didn't want to take part in the interactive games, guests could sit down and enjoy the mellow vibe of R&B and reggae-fused cover band Legacy.
The band was the perfect accompaniment to dinner, catered by the Doral Golf Resort and Spa staff, which presented a large buffet-style menu. The main dish of the night was a grilled Cuban-style flank steak. There were plenty of choices for side dishes: congri (a Cuban rice and beans dish), steamed vegetables, grilled citrus chicken, fried plantains, buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, and honey butter. Guests also had several options for dessert, including chocolate éclairs, napoleons, jumbo cookies, pineapple upside-down cake, and warm bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream.
After dinner, Massachusetts auctioneer Paul Shears was introduced and the live auctions began, with the attending celebrities playing a huge part. New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor even won one of the auctions, when he bid $2,100 for a seven-night Royal Caribbean cruise for two to anywhere in the Caribbean. When skybox tickets to any 2007 Miami Dolphins preseason game failed to draw a reaction, 1972 undefeated-team member Mercury Morris gave an inspirational speech that touched on the team's current struggles and offered assurances of a better season to come. The speech suddenly made the tickets one of the night's most coveted items, and they eventually sold for $1,400. Morris also bid at one
point—but unlike L.T., he was outbid by another guest, who paid $1,300 for a 42-inch Hitachi television set. A throwback Nat Moore Miami Dolphins jersey signed by every famous person in attendance was also on the bidding block; it closed at a mere $600.
One hundred percent of the proceeds raised—from the $150 ticket sales, the silent auctions in the hallway, and the live auctions in the ballroom—benefited the Nat Moore Foundation, a not-for-profit association that has dispersed more than $1 million to various youth and social service organizations in Miami since the ex-Dolphins wide receiver started it in 1998.
—Albert del Toral
Photos: Amy Glanzman (Inflatables, Band, Branding)
Inflatables in the rear of the room added a sporty touch to the Canon Florida Classic.
Silent auction items at the event ranged from a signed Jimi Hendrix guitar to Buzz Aldrin and Bill Clinton frames.
Legacy covered mellow songs like Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," Sublime's "Doing Time," and Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
An Xbox 360 set-up in the hallway allowed guests to play football against the NFL pros in attendance.
J Entertainment & Productions provided many forms of entertainment and visuals, such as this human butterfly.
The Doral Golf Resort staff grilled Cuban-style flank steaks for the guests on-site.
Attendees could go down the buffet aisles choosing side dishes such as the congri or the grilled citrus chicken to accompany their steaks.
Massachusetts auctioneer Paul Shears, who liked to walk through the crowd, hosted the live auctions, often involving on-hand celebrities.
The Legends Ballroom featured lighted branding during the fund-raiser, such as the event's logo—a golfer, mid-swing.
