Sunset Soirée Returns to South Florida with Star Power as Local Celebrity Dancers Bring Style and Swagger to the Ballroom Floor for Lung Health

The American Lung Association kicks up its heels and leaps into sunny South Florida in high style with its LUNG FORCE Sunset Soirée Dancing with the Stars gala on May 15, bringing a signature mix of glamor, community spirit and a mission to promote lung health to the Sport of Kings Theater in Gulfstream Park.

Guests will be treated to a sumptuous gourmet experience, including an open bar with themed cocktails and fine wines served tableside, while enjoying the artistry and talent of local celebrity dance performers, many of whom they know as area business people, healthcare partners and friends. They also will enjoy the opportunity to bid on bountiful live and silent auction items, highlighted by a five-night African Safari, along with a mystery wine-bottle pull and a host of exciting activities.

Fittingly, the fundraiser’s dancing theme—which was ushered in with last year’s 20th anniversary celebration—does more than entertain. With each step and spin, dancers dramatically bring the organization’s mission to life. Dancing is a lung-healthy activity that renews the body, boosting vitality, while bringing people together, notes Dr. Glenn Singer, co-chair of the event and a Fort Lauderdale pulmonologist for more than 40 years. 

To present the performance, five prominent community members pledged to step out of the boardroom into the ballroom to compete for the evening’s First Place Spotlight Champion Award, powered by FPL, while raising funds to support the Lung Association’s work to end lung disease. Association supporters, dinner guests and friends can donate on behalf of their favorite performers in advance of the gala. Each donation represents a vote for that dancer’s championship. 

After demonstrating their spotlight swagger on the dinner show stage, dancers also receive performance points. The combination of votes and points will determine the grand prize winner. The goal is for dancers to raise $20,000—the equivalent of funding one full month of lung cancer research.

The performers—most with a personal connection to lung disease—range from physicians and other healthcare professionals to lawyers, local businesspeople and community moms and dads. Explore their stories here. For ten weeks prior to the event, they have been tirelessly perfecting and polishing their creative routines with professional instructors from Fort Lauderdale Ballroom dance studio. All are celebrities for channeling their energies in support of an important cause. The performance promises to showcase their talent, commitment and energy and to be a major draw for the community, family and friends.

“The Sunset Soirée is more than a glamorous night on the dance floor—it’s a powerful celebration of the community coming together for lung health,” says Dr. Glenn Singer. “Watching local leaders step into the spotlight and use their voices, platforms and passion to support this mission is truly inspiring. Nights like this help drive real progress toward a future free from lung cancer and lung disease,” added Dr. Caren Singer, fellow gala co-chair and a longtime practicing internal medicine specialist in the community. Dedicated dancers themselves, the leadership duo also will take the floor for a special Alumni Dance performance. 

The American Lung Association is the leading organization dedicated to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Through education, advocacy and research, it is focused on defeating lung cancer, championing clean air for all, improving the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families and creating a tobacco-free future. While lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., more Americans than ever before survive the disease. For more information about the organization, visit Lung.org.

The title Sponsor of the gala is the Memorial Cancer Institute. Presenting Sponsor is The Erwin and Barbara Mautner Charitable Foundation.

All tickets include a welcome reception, open bar, sit-down dinner, after-party and valet. For more information and to attend the event, click here.