Creating a Legacy, Cystic Fibrosis Annual ‘Taste of South Florida’ Gala
Parkland Lifestyle Magazine – By Marla Lazarus
Long before residents Casey and Matt Shore even met, they began to get their feet wet and become involved with various charitable organizations during their college days at the University of Florida through their sororities and fraternities. After college, they met at a Happy Hour and learned they had some mutual friends from U of F. It was not until six months later they ran into each other again when Matt asked Casey to go out with him. Casey remembers Matt telling her he wasn’t going to let her get away this time. They fell in love and have been happily married for the last twelve years. With hearts of gold, Casey and Matt have the perfect partnership and are very passionate about philanthropy.
They continually support many charities throughout South Florida, such as; United Way, Jason Taylor Foundation, as well as GSD (Glycogen Storage Disease), just to name a few. For the second year, they are proud to be co-chairing the Cystic Fibrosis annual Taste of South Florida Gala to be held on September 25th at the beautiful Ritz Carlton on Fort Lauderdale Beach. When Matt was asked to become involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, he and Casey jumped in wholeheartedly to do whatever they could to help raise funds and awareness for such a devastating disease.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system of about thirty thousand children and adults in the United States and seventy thousand worldwide. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus which will clog the lungs and lead to life threatening lung infections. It also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. In the 1950′s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their forties and beyond.
Casey and Matt are working hand in hand for this upcoming event where he handles the sponsorships and promoting the event, while she is invaluable in garnering great donations for the silent and live auctions. “This year will be a spectacular event, one big party,” said Casey. “We chose CF because our kids are healthy. If we can make even a small difference in someone’s life, it is all worth it,” says Matt.
A night of fun, great food and entertainment await the guests at the CF Annual Charity Gala where the evening will begin with a reception featuring several tasting stations and then on to enjoy a five course sit down dinner, each prepared by some of South Florida’s finest chefs. This year’s confirmed chefs are Dean Max of 3030 Ocean; Angelo Elia of Casa D’ Angelo; Jose Ramos of The W Hotel; Chef Frederic Delaire of the Loew’s Hotel in Miami Beach; John Schubach of Casablanca Cafe; Chef Tommy Valdes at Trattori Bella Cibo, Chef Miguel Santiago of Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six, Bryce Statham of Blue Moon Fish Company; as well as Susie Stallings from Susie’s Scrumptious Sweets. In addition, Executive Chef Christian Clair of The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale will host all the chefs and coordinate a fabulous menu for this spectacular event.
The gala is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include an open bar alongside lavish food stations. A focal point of the evening will be the live and silent auctions featuring items from some of the area’s most recognized restaurants, luxury hotels and pampering packages for him and her. American Airlines has donated airline tickets for the auction which will be paired with fabulous vacation destinations- including a seven night stay at Elite Island Resorts in the Caribbean. Other exciting packages up for auction include a three night stay in Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, a weekend stay at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, The Abaco Club in the Bahamas, Ocean Point Suites in Key Largo, and Snowmass Aspen Club. Presenting sponsors for the event will include American Airlines, Panache- A Classic Party Rentals Company, Coral Springs Lifestyle Magazine and Parkland Lifestyle Magazine. Gold Sponsors are Steven Douglas Associates, Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, Greenberg Traurig, SEACOR Holdings, Automated HealthCare Solutions, Steven Rosenberg, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Equity One.
In addition to Casey and Matt, this year’s event would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts of the 2010 planning committee, which include; Jim Duffy, Barbara Garrett, David Levy, Freddy Marante, Paula Morabito, Alex Mores, Scott Parker, Dana Rabinowitz, Jennifer Renaud, Loretta Saulsberry and Angie Valdes.
The Shore’s believe while being involved with various charities they are teaching their children, Brittany and Matthew, to always lend a helping hand. As Matt says, “by setting a strong foundation in their developing years, we hope this will make them grow up to appreciate life and the world around them. It is important for our children to see what we are doing and why we are doing it.” Because of their ages, Brittany, eleven, and Matthew, nine, are limited to what they can do for the community and always want to do more. “They have even gone around our neighborhood and collected food for the food bank,” says Casey. As a family they spend a lot of time together, whether it’s on the soccer field or basketball court, you can always find Matt coaching Matthew on the sidelines or attending an Indian Princess event with Brittany. They thoroughly enjoy the Parkland lifestyle and the small town feeling everywhere they go. As fanatic Florida Gator fans, they always host game day parties “Gator Fans Only” when they are not attending games in Gainesville.
While at his first job at Price Waterhouse, Matt would give presentations to companies in order to raise money for the United Way campaign. To this day, Matt and Casey still hold the United Way close to their heart and are involved in the leadership giving group called the United Way of Broward County Tocqueville Society where he is the Executive Committee Chairman for 2010. Matt is a firm believer in a quote from Alexis de Tocqueville where he states, “Whatever elevates, enlarges and expands the soul, makes it more able to succeed.”
Casey has always volunteered her time and has been very involved in their children’s education. She is currently Vice President of Membership for the PTA at their children’s school and was in charge of all fundraising activities at St. Andrew’s Catholic School for several years where her children attended. Casey said, “One day we know it will make a difference in the lives of our kids to have a strong family foundation behind them to make the right decisions in life. We are trying to set the ground work and create a legacy for them to continue throughout their lifetime.”
Matt received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Masters of Accounting degrees from the University of Florida. Presently, Matt is President at Steven Douglas Associates an executive search and project based professional service firm. Since joining the firm over four years ago, he has driven change and growth across all aspects of the firm, including market expansion, business development, internal recruiting, public relations, and leadership of the executive search practice. Additionally, he was a co-founder of the highly successful Project Resources Division and has played an integral role in re-branding efforts and the introduction of new service offerings throughout the business community. With all of his additional responsibilities, Matt continues to be an industry leader in the area of senior-level financial search. His practice has grown over the years to include organizations of all sizes ranging from start-ups to well-established mid-market and Fortune 500 companies in various industries. Recently, Matt was recognized as one of South Florida’s “40 under 40″ by the South Florida Business Journal in 2010 and as a Mover and Shaker by Business Leader Magazine in 2009.
Save the date and don’t miss the social event of the fall season where everyone is invited to attend. Sponsorship packages are available from $1,000 to $20,000 levels and individual tickets are $250 per person or $2500 for a table of ten. To purchase tickets or for sponsorship information please contact Jody Kotler at the CF Foundation at (954) 739-5006, or by e-mail at jkotler@cff.org.