Burn Victim's Medical Bills No Match for South Florida Celebrities

LA Times

Picture of 15-year-old burn victim, Michael Brewer

​Joe Kessling isn't ready to start naming names, but suffice to say they're big -- literally. He has commitments from Miami Dolphins, among other South Florida athletes, all dedicating part of their Saturday, November 21 to raising money for Michael Brewer, the Deerfield Beach 15-year-old who was set on fire by kids who were angry at him for spoiling a bike theft.

"I like to call them big guys with big hearts," Kessling told me yesterday. "We're all here to help the Brewer family with their astronomical medical bills."

The one name that Kessling did give me: The Donald. A South Floridian who with a wave of the wallet can make the biggest medical bills vanish. The event will also attract the usual scrum of politicians.
The event, at Galuppi's Restaurant in Pompano Beach, will include a silent auction, where fans can scoop up autographed sports memorabilia, 2010 Miami Dolphins season tickets, 2010 Florida Panther season tickets, and even a ride on a Goodyear blimp. Grand prize in the raffle: a 7-day Norwegian Cruise Line cruise for two.

Brewer, who sustained severe burns covering 80 percent of his body from the brutal attack, remains in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Burn Center, where he'll stay for the next six months while undergoing surgeries and skin grafts.

For more info on the event, contact Joe Kessling at (954) 812-6836, Grant Galuppi at (561) 305-4726, or Melissa Pollack at (954) 818-4847.