$4.7 Million Raised To Support Extraordinary Patient Care, Research and Innovation at Baptist Health
October 27, 2026 – Baptist Health Foundation held its 2026 Grand Gala Saturday, October 24 the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The event united philanthropic donors, community leaders, healthcare professionals and corporate philanthropy partners to support Baptist Health’s hospitals, institutes, services and programs in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The Grand Gala was emceed by South Florida TV personality Laurie Jennings and featured a celebrity performance generously provided by award-winning world music superstar “The Gipsy” Chico Castillo, formerly of The Gipsy Kings by Andrés y Mario Reyes. More than 1,100 guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a formal seated dinner, with entertainment provided by the Danny Beck Party Band. Speakers included Bo Boulenger, Baptist Health president and CEO, and Gala co-chair; Alex Villoch, Baptist Health Foundation CEO; and J.C. Liscano, senior vice president of Miami operations for American Airlines.
The Grand Gala raised $4.7 million in total. Donors selected their area of support, benefiting patient and caregiver services, research and clinical trials, education and training for medical staff, state-of-the-art technology, community outreach programs and more.
“At Baptist Health, we measure success by a culture of excellence, the hope we inspire and the lives we improve,” said Mr. Boulenger. “Philanthropy is a powerful force behind our progress. It helps us innovate, expand our reach and provide exceptional care to the communities we proudly serve.”
Added Ms. Villoch, “Two years ago at the Grand Gala, we launched Power Extraordinary: The Campaign for Baptist Health — our historic initiative to transform healthcare in South Florida and beyond. Donor generosity has created the momentum to expand our vision of what we can achieve for our patients and community. Just this year, transformational gifts from Dr. Herbert Wertheim and Ken Griffin have changed the trajectory for two of our institutes – now known as Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute and Kenneth C. Griffin Neuroscience Institute. We are truly grateful for the many donors who believe in our mission.”
The Grand Gala sponsors included Presenting Entertainment Sponsor Robins & Morton; Philanthropic Chairs Michele and Howard Kessler; Gala Stage Sponsor Turner Construction Company; Gala Dinner Sponsors Linda and Patrick McEnany; Program Production Sponsor Citadel; and Cocktail Lounge Sponsor Miami Dolphins Foundation.
Gala partners included Official Airline Sponsor, American Airlines; Official Automotive Sponsor, The Collection; Official Sports Team Partner, Miami HEAT; and Official Spirits Partner, Bacardi.
Gold Sponsors included DPR Construction, Radiology Associates of South Florida and Vilar-Hoynack Construction Company. Silver Sponsors included American Airlines, Bank of America, Cencora, Computacenter, CritiCare Clinics, Inc., Envision, Florida International University, Florida National University Hialeah Campus, J Blue Capital Management / Jonathan Lieberman, Karel Foti, KIDZ Medical Services, Meisner Electric, Inc., Nateman Family, NV2A a Mastec Company, Pediatrix Medical Group and TeamHealth. Bronze Sponsors included Advanced Green Technologies, Amerant Bank, Arcadis, Inc., Array Architects, Inc., Bain Capital, Bellmont Village, BPD, BrightView Landscape Services, Inc., Coastal Building Maintenance, D. Torr Construction, Florida Doctors Group, MSO, Future Tech Enterprise, Inc., Health Foundation of South Florida
HealthCare Appraisers, now part of Stout, Holland & Knight LLP, Hudson Bay Capital, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Kerney & Associates, LLC, La Croix Sparkling Water, LabCorp, Media Counselors, MedPro Healthcare Staffing, Miller Electric Company, Mind Body Social, Perry Ellis International, PNC Bank, Quest Diagnostics, Redbridge Network, Rubrik, Sage Advisory Services, Ltd. Co., Senior Nannies Home Care Services, LLC, Stefanini Group, Stinghouse Creative, TLC Engineering Solutions, TRA Telecom Resources of America, UnitedHealthcare, Vizient, Inc. and William R. Nash, LLC.
For more information, visit BaptistHealthGrandGala.org.
About Baptist Health Foundation
The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health South Florida. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more at BaptistHealth.net/Foundation and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 30,000 employees, 4,500 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and The Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health South Florida is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
