USA. The 2023 Duty Free Americas (DFA) Charity Golf Tournament, held in Miami on 8 February, raised a record US$1 million to support the fight against cancer. Funds raised will go towards leading-edge research and treatments at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
[Respected Americas travel retail title Travel Markets Insider (TMI)* reported the news, and Editor & Publisher Lois Pasternak has provided us with this report and images.]
This year the monies raised by the event sponsors—the Falic Family Foundation and Duty Free Americas – were matched dollar for dollar by the Miami Dolphins football team, a long-time supporter of the Sylvester Center.
“We could not be more proud of this year’s ambition to raise US$1 million in conjunction with the Miami Dolphins in support of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Jerome Falic, Chief Executive Officer of DFA and a principal of The Falic Family Foundation.
“Duty Free Americas’ Annual Golf Charity Tournament is part of our ongoing commitment to give back to our community by funding initiatives such as those that seek to understand and overcome devastating diseases like cancer.”
DFA worked closely with the Dolphins Challenge Cancer (DCC), the fundraising initiative of the Miami Dolphins Foundation, with each organisation making a US$500,000 commitment to Sylvester.
The partnership between the DCC, DFA and The Falic Family Foundation was announced at the Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers football game on 25 December, with an on-field presentation in anticipation of the US$1 million joint gift to be presented to Sylvester at the golf tournament.
Dolphins Challenge Cancer Executive Director Javier Sanchez and Sylvester Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., who is also the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Executive Dean for research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, were guests of honour at the charity event, where they received the funds before a standing room-only crowd.
Miami’s hometown football team has been a major donor to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center through its Dolphins Challenge Cancer (DCC) organisation since 2010, and has raised more than US$52.5 million for the hospital.
Its main event is the annual Dolphin Challenge, which has become the number one fundraising event in the NFL in support of local life-saving cancer research. This year’s 5K run/walk, 100-mile ride and virtual event, which is taking place on 25 February, already has more than 5,000 registrants and is aiming to raise US$10 million, which includes the donation from the DFA Golf Tournament.
In a heartfelt speech at the charity golf event, Jerome Falic thanked the industry for its participation, and talked about his personal long-time connection to the Miami Dolphins, and how important it is to fight against cancer, which has personally touched nearly everyone:
“Giving back to the community is very important to me, and my family and together with the DCC, we are part of the ‘one team, one fight’ changing the narrative of cancer,” he said.
Now in its eighth year, the DFA Charity Golf Tournament has grown in scope and popularity each year it has been held.
The 2022 DFA Charity Golf Tournament raised US$375,000 for the Mourning Family Foundation (formerly known as Alonzo Mourning Charities) and its Overtown Youth Center and Honey Shine initiatives, and also attracted several hundred members of the duty free and travel retail industry.
DFA Vice President Spirits & Wine Jonathan Bonchick, who has been a major influence in organising the DFA Golf events, said that interest was so strong this year that registration for both the golf tournament and the dinner had to close early because they reached capacity.
*Note: Travel Markets Insider is a leading specialist travel retail publication dedicated to the Americas, with which The Moodie Davitt Report has a close, informal working relationship. Publisher and Editor Lois Pasternak can be contacted on editor@travelmarketsinsider.net 
