December Social-lite Guide Miami
15th Annual Brunch for the Animals
Bring your four-legged pooch and the rest of the family to the 15th annual Brunch for the Animals on Sunday, December 11, from 11 to 2 pm. The event, hosted by Louis Aguirre, co-host of Deco Drive, will take place at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel (1601 Collins Avenue). In addition to Aguirre, co-chairs include: Selene Arvesu, Gingi Beltran, Irene Korge, Ann Rubino and Maggie Villacampa.
Two-legged guests will enjoy a scrumptious holiday brunch while sipping on cocktails and taking in the magnificent view from the lawn of the hotel while four-legged attendees will dine on a home cooked meal from the Loews Loves Pets room service menu. Owners are encouraged to dress their dogs in holiday wear and will also get the chance to start their holiday shopping early at the silent auction and merchant booths that will be set up, including a vintage booth called Scrappy’s Vintage Corner. Admission is $150 per adult; $35 per child ages 3-10. Dogs are complimentary. Valet parking is available for $25 or at a public garage across the street on 16th Street.
To RSVP or for more information, call Laurie at 305.749.1815.
Jason Taylor Foundation Hosts 3CiNTERACTIVE
Join Miami Dolphins All-Pro, Jason Taylor, and his celebrity friends for the 3Cinteractive JT’s Ping-Pong Smash 8 – presented by Publix, the original celebrity, Doubles table-tennis tournament on Monday, December 12 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (1 Seminole Way) to benefit the Jason Taylor Foundation (JTF).
This one-of-a-kind ping pong extravaganza pairs generous community members with some of the Sunshine State’s most recognizable personalities from the worlds of sports and entertainment. The duos will compete in a round-robin style ping-pong tournament while raising money for local children’s charities. Adding to the family-friendly atmosphere will be DJ Laz of Power 96 filling the arena with today’s hottest music, in addition to the Lucky Fan Fun Zone, where those in attendance can enjoy a Best Buy gaming station, haircuts, interactive games and more. Prior to the action that evening, JTF will put on the fourth-annual Ping-Pong Smash Kids Clinic -presented by the Miami Dolphins. Doors open for the 3Cinteractive JT’s Ping-Pong Smash 8 at 5:30 pm. Admission to the event is $5 which goes straight to JTF.
For more information call 954.424.0799 or visit www.jasontaylorfoundation.org.
Celebrate the Holidays with Exciting Events at Zoo Miami
This holiday season Zoo Miami (12400 SW 152nd Street) is hosting a myriad of exciting activities for the whole family. The zoo’s glorious grounds come to light for 8 brilliant nights during Zoo Lights, December 16-23 from 7 to 10 pm. (ticket booths close at 9:30 pm). Guests can enjoy dozens of bright animal-shaped lights along walkways, listen to wonderful holiday music, sip hot chocolate, munch on delicious cookies, and take a ride on a camel, the wildlife carrousel or the hippo slide (the world’s largest inflatable slide). Included with admission is a pair of 3D glasses, which will make the Zoo Lights experience even more engaging and amusing. General admission is only $5 per person plus tax. Food, beverages, camel rides, carrousel and hippo slide are all available at additional costs.
Dinner with Santa will take place on December 17 from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Bring the kids to meet “the big guy” before he has to rush back to the North Pole and enjoy a delicious holiday dinner with the family, photos with Santa, a holiday plush gift and holiday craft-making. Dinner with Santa admission includes parking, entry to Zoo Lights from 7 to10 pm. and a classic holiday menu of fresh roasted turkey with homemade gravy, baked ham, candied sweet potatoes with melting marshmallows, herbed buttery carrots, homemade cranberry sauce, dinner rolls with butter, homemade seasonal pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, and beverages. Hungry yet? General admission is $39.95 per adult and $33.95 per child ages 3-12. Zoo members receive reduced admission fees. Children ages 2 and under may attend for free. To make a reservation, call 305.251.0400, ext 84941.
The Holiday Gifts for the Animals program takes place every weekend in December, including Christmas Day, during which visitors can watch the animals joyfully open presents prepared by zookeepers and volunteers. The animals enjoy opening up their enriching gifts and you’ll be entertained watching them. To save time, buy your tickets online at www.zoomiami.org. Zoo Miami’s regular hours are 9:30 am. – 5:30 pm.; ticket booths close at 4:00 pm.
Loro Piana Benefits Penn Medicine
Penn Medicine is at it again: Fresh off the heels of a mega-successful fundraising event with Russell Simmons and Loro Piana, the non-profit is teaming up with Loro Piana once again for a holiday party on Wednesday, December 21 from 6-8 pm at the Loro Piana Village of Merrick Park store (342 San Lorenzo Avenue, #1045, Coral Gables) and you are invited. Joining in the fun are Stefanie Block Reed and Evan Reed, Diane N. Weiss, Stacey Shoer, Allison Weiss Brady and Chip Brady, Constantino & Briana Gutierrez, Amy Rosenberg, and Faquiry Diaz Cala and Amelia Balonek. Spend away at this great shop because the retailer will donate a percentage of sales to Penn Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For more information or to RSVP, contact WeissPR@aol.com.
This story was originally published December 8, 2011 at 8:12 PM.