Destination Fashion 2009 Presented by Stewart Rahr -

Destination Fashion 2009 Presented by Stewart Rahr -

A Star-Studded Gala Under the Stars at the Bal Harbour Shops Raised More Than $3.8 Million for the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis - Seal and The Pointer Sisters Performed to a Sold Out Crowd and Designer Michael Kors Presented Runway Collection

Tommy Lee Jones, Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Anna Kournikova, Jerry Rice, Nick Buoniconti, Jack Nicklaus, Scottie Pippen and Pat Riley Among the Stars in Attendance

MIAMI, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Destination Fashion 2009, Presented by Stewart Rahr, was a memorable night of music, fashion and philanthropy under the stars at South Florida's Bal Harbour Shops on Saturday night, March 7th, when more than 2,000 of Miami's finest came out for the star-studded fundraiser to benefit The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, which raised in excess of $3.8 million. The Buoniconti Fund is the fundraising arm of The Miami Project. Multi-platinum recording artist Seal delivered a rockin' show and The Pointer Sisters performed on the same stage earlier in the evening and wowed the crowd. American iconic designer Michael Kors treated the fashionista crowd to a spectacular runway presentation of his newest collection that was straight from New York's Fashion Week, with a little Miami fine-tuning. The runway extravaganza was presented by Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour.

Highlights of the evening included The Barth A. Green Spirit Award presented to golf legend Jack Nicklaus and The Buoniconti Fund Award given to Stanley Whitman of Bal Harbour Shops. Event presenting sponsor Stewart Rahr thrilled the crowd as he announced a donation of $1 million to the Buoniconti Fund. Also included in the evening's program was the presentation of the Women of Substance & Style Honorees, introducing 40 of South Florida's most notable women.

The list of notable attendees is an impressive line-up that included honorary co-chairs Tommy Lee Jones and wife Dawn and event chairs Nick Buoniconti, Marc Buoniconti, Dr. Barth Green, M.D., Gretchen Jordan, Suzie Sayfie and Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard. Other celebrities and special guests were Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Anna Kournikova, Jerry Rice, Jack Nicklaus, Scottie Pippen, Pat Riley, Don Shula, Romero Britto, Edgerrin James, Clay Adler, Seamus Dever, Asante Samuel and Ed Reed among others.

Destination Fashion 2009 guests partied through the "Decades: 70's, 80's, 90's and Today" in the dazzling Bal Harbour Shops and enjoyed international cuisine, delicious libations, live music and interactive entertainment, which included a stunning silent auction offering and the Tiffany & Co. "Chances for a Cure Wall" loaded with luxury items. Some memorable auction items that were the big-ticket draws were a Saks Fifth Avenue package for 2 to attend Michael Kors show at New York Fashion Week with 2-night stay at The Plaza and a one-of-a-kind white crocodile Fendi bag.

Destination Fashion 2009 was presented by Stewart Rahr with other event sponsors including: Bal Harbour Shops, Bal Harbour Village and the Village Council, Barton g, Academy Award Winner Tommy Lee Jones & Dawn Jones, Carnival Cruise Lines, Eden Roc, A Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa, Continental Airlines, Kim and James Pallotta, Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour, The Batchelor Foundation, Cindy Carr, Beatrice Clancy, Cummock Family, Diane and Allen de Olazarra, Gretchen and Jay Jordan, Kandy and Jeff Kramer, Edie Laquer, Christine Lynn, Miami.com, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, Miami HEAT Charitable Fund, Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour, Victoria Ranger Nunez, Barbara Ceuleers Salazar, Southern Wine and Spirits, Laura and Irwin Tauber, Aventura Worldwide Transportation Service and 1-2-3 Lump Sum.

The 2009 Women of Substance and Style Honorees are: Toby Ansin, Madeleine Arison, Adrienne Arsht, Patty Asseff, Dorothy Barrie, Nancy Batchelor, Bobbi Berkman, Julia Bianchi, Nora Bulnes, Cindy Carr, Beatrice Clancy, Anna May Conese, Victoria Cummock, Diane de Olazarra, Alice Fisher Edelman, Raysa Fanjul, Paula Friedland, Gladys Gelb, Andria Ares Holtz, Elsie Howard, Carol Iacovelli, Roni Jacobson, Susan Jacobson, Gretchen Jordan, Kandy Kramer, Edie Laquer, Anne McDougal, Christina Getty Maercks, Lisa Pliner, Jennifer Postrel, Christy Powell, Victoria Ranger Nunez, Loren Ridinger, Chris Riley, Mary Anne Shula, Claudine Smurfit, Jessica Goldman Srebnick, Laura Tauber, Marisa Toccin and Debra Braman Wechsler.

History: In 1985, Barth A. Green, M.D. and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti helped found The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick's son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Today, The Miami Project is the world's largest, most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center and is housed in the Lois Pope LIFE Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Miami Project's international team of over 200 scientists and clinicians take innovative approaches to the challenge of spinal cord injury. Committed to finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again, the Buoniconti family established The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in 1992, a non-profit organization devoted to assisting The Miami Project achieve its national and international goals. The Buoniconti Fund serves as the fundraising arm of The Miami Project. It is designed to complement the scientific accomplishments of The Miami Project by generating funds and high levels of awareness.

Images from Destination Fashion 2009 can be found at www.gettyimages.com or by contacting us directly.

Source: The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis

CONTACT: Mary Kaye Daniels, B|W|R Public Relations, +1-212-901-3938,
marykaye.daniels@bwr-ny.com; or Scott Roy, The Buoniconti Fund to Cure
Paralysis, +1-305-243-8939, sroy@miami.edu; or Charlie Cinnamon, Charles
Cinnamon PR, +1-305-672-1324, ccinnamon1@aol.com

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