January 18, 2021 – Baptist Health Foundation today announced that Udonis Haslem, forward and team captain for the Miami HEAT, has joined the HEAT. HELP. CURE. Bounce Back from CancerTM fundraising effort for Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute and will participate in the event set for March 13, 2022. Haslem will help promote the important initiative and celebrate with participants at the FTX Arena finish line the day of the event. Note, we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and have various contingency plans in place and appropriate safety measures will be followed.
Haslem, a Miami native who has three NBA championships and is the HEAT’s all-time leading rebounder, was recently named Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Hometown Hero for his community service and goodwill initiatives. Participating in Bounce Back from CancerTM is particularly meaningful to him, as his mother and father both died of cancer.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of Bounce Back from Cancer because it combines two of my passions – basketball and supporting the community,” said Haslem. “It’s a grassroots event that encourages people of all ages to get involved and raise money for research to end this devastating disease.”
Bounce Back from CancerTM is the signature event of HEAT. HELP. CURE., a partnership between the Miami HEAT and Baptist Health South Florida to help raise funds for Miami Cancer Institute. In 2021, the event brought together more then 2,400 unique donors, including cancer survivors and their supporters, leaders and staff from the Miami HEAT and Miami Cancer Institute, sports fans and community members to help fulfill the Institute’s vision of a world without cancer. Together, participants raised more than $1 million to support groundbreaking cancer research, programs and patient care at Miami Cancer Institute. In 2022, the event has extended its fundraising goal to $2 million.
“We are thrilled to have Miami’s own hometown hero, Udonis Haslem, on board for Bounce Back from CancerTM,” said Baptist Health’s Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer, Joe Natoli. “He’s an inspiration to this community both on and off the court. With his help, we’re mobilizing more participants and sponsors than ever, and making the 2022 event a huge win for Miami Cancer Institute.”
Miami Cancer Institute, which opened in 2017, cares for an average of 1,200 patients each day. The Institute provides unparalleled expertise in individual cancers, and access to the world’s latest cancer discoveries, most effective treatments and best outcomes – all right here in South Florida.
“One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes,” said Miami Cancer Institute’s CEO and Executive Medical Director, Michael Zinner, M.D. “Udonis Haslem has seen firsthand the effects this disease can have on the entire family. The physicians, researchers and staff of Miami Cancer Institure are very grateful for his support of Bounce Back from CancerTM.”
About Miami Cancer Institute
Miami Cancer Institute brings to South Florida access to personalized clinical treatments and comprehensive support services delivered with unparalleled compassion. No other cancer program in the region has the combination of cancer-fighting expertise and advanced technology—including the first proton therapy center in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean, and one of the only radiation oncology programs in the world with each of the newest radiation therapies in one place—to diagnose and deliver precise cancer treatments that achieve the best outcomes and improve the lives of cancer patients. The Institute offers an impressive roster of established community oncologists and renowned experts, clinical researchers and genomic scientists recruited from the nation’s top cancer centers. Selected as Florida’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer (MSK) Alliance, Miami Cancer Institute is part of a meaningful clinical collaboration that affords patients in South Florida access to innovative treatments and ensures that the standards of care developed by their multidisciplinary disease management teams match those at MSK.
Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 24,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. 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 by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.
For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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/Giving.
