Nicklaus Children's Diamond Ball Raises More Than $4 Million for Pediatric Care
Key Takeaways
- •Nicklaus Children's Hospital said its October 10 Diamond Ball raised more than $4 million.
- •The gala took place at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami; the hospital announced the result October 16.
- •Proceeds will support expansion of specialized pediatric care, according to the hospital.
Nicklaus Children's Hospital announced on October 16 that its 19th Annual Diamond Ball raised more than $4 million, adding philanthropic support for specialized pediatric care following the October 10 gala in downtown Miami.
The hospital said the proceeds would help expand advanced care for children and families in Florida and beyond. Its announcement, distributed through PR Newswire, reports an overall fundraising result without assigning donation amounts to individual sponsors or specifying allocations to particular facilities.
Enrique Santos and Dayanara Torres hosted the evening, according to the hospital. Its sponsor list included Griffin Catalyst, Citadel, Citadel Securities, City National Bank of Florida, Greenberg Traurig, Perry Ellis International and Pediatrix Medical Group, bringing financial, legal, retail and healthcare organizations into the fundraising effort.
The hospital's account also described presentations by patients and remarks from Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children's Health System, and Allison W. Baker, president of Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation. The patient stories connected the evening's fundraising appeal with the institution's clinical work.
The Foundation's event page places the gala at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami on Biscayne Boulevard Way. It identifies the gathering as benefiting hospital patients and families, with dinner, entertainment and philanthropy forming the evening's program.
Behind that program was a committee that included Ellen and Oscar Feldenkreis, Olga and Salo Grosfeld, Vivian and JC Mas, Nina Miguel, Cristina and Henry Miller, Bailey and Jamal Mashburn, Melanie Sanchez, and Jennifer and Brian Shack. The Foundation credits the committee with leadership in preparing the 2026 event.
Akerman separately identified itself as a sponsor on its own event page, which also listed October 10 and the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. That provides a participant's confirmation of its support and the event arrangements, rather than independent verification of the hospital's fundraising total. The law firm said the evening would also feature the hospital's Forward for Generations campaign.
The gala sits within an established fundraising program. The Foundation reports that the 2025 Diamond Ball, its 18th edition, raised more than $7 million and honored patient Katy Puig. Those separately reported annual totals describe successive events; the October 16 announcement did not provide a year-over-year explanation or comparable accounting breakdown.
The institution's philanthropic history extends beyond the annual ball. According to the Foundation's account, a pledge from Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation preceded the hospital's adoption of the Nicklaus name in 2015. The couple established their foundation in 2004.
The Foundation traces its origins to Ambassador David M. Walters, whose six-year-old granddaughter died of leukemia in 1970. It says he subsequently worked with medical staff, volunteers and the surrounding community to build the fundraising organization around access to pediatric care in South Florida.
The Foundation describes its governing board as volunteers drawn from community, business and philanthropic leadership who serve without compensation. Its stated role is to support the needs of hospital patients and families, linking the annual event to a broader institutional fundraising effort.
The October 16 announcement adds this year's gala result to that longer fundraising history. The hospital has stated a broad purpose for the proceeds: expanding specialized pediatric care for the children and families it serves.
