Make-A-Wish Southern Florida marks three decades with star-studded Miami gala – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

MIAMI (WSVN) – It was a night of celebration as Make-A-Wish Southern Florida marked 30 years of making dreams come true.

The annual event, held Saturday at the InterContinental Miami, honored decades of granting wishes for children battling critical illnesses and raised millions of dollars to keep those dreams alive.

Latin superstar Marc Anthony set the tone for the evening, getting guests on their feet with his hit “Vivir Mi Vida,” a fitting anthem for a night dedicated to life, hope, and joy.

“We’re raising money to be able to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses. We know the power of a wish and how wishes change the trajectory that our sick children and their families are on,” said Norman Wedderbur, Pres., CEO, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.

Those wishes being granted by the organization touch far more than just the wish kids and their families.

“During that 30-year period, we’ve raised $50 million, granted 10,000 wishes, and since a wish impacts a minimum 200 people, that means we’ve impacted more than 2 million people in our community,” said Gala Chair Shareef M. Malnik

The star-studded gala raised money featuring experiences and must-have items like a Lionel Messi Inter Miami jersey, artwork, and a pink guitar signed by Taylor Swift.

7News is a proud sponsor of Make-A-Wish. The CEO, Co-President, and General Manager of Sunbeam Television, the parent company of 7News, were all in attendance at the gala.

The celebration also brought out some familiar faces, including 7News’ anchors Belkys Nerey, Lynn Martinez, and Alex de Armas. They all took part in the Cleopatra-themed ball.

Hotel officials said hosting Make-A-Wish for the last 30 years has been a blessing.

“Joining forces with the Make-A-Wish Foundation just to make this wonderful gala every single year,” said Armeno Rivero, Hotel Manager of Hotel InterContinental.

This year’s event raised $3 million.

Malnik reflected on the event’s impact.

“It’s all about the wishes and it’s all about the kids,” said Malnik.

There are approximately 600 families with children seeking wishes in the pipeline.

Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.