Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and his wife, Heidi, hosted the third annual “South Beach Battioke” at the Fillmore Theatre in Miami Beach on Monday, Jan. 27.
The celebrity karaoke event raised nearly $300,000 to benefit the Battier Take Charge Foundation. More than 600 guests in attendance got a special chance to get up close and personal with Miami Heat players, coaches and executives who all put down their playbooks and picked up a microphone, singing karaoke for a cause before a live audience.
Aside from the entire Heat roster, notable celebrity guests in this star-studded event included The Hangover star Ken Jeong, singer Jimmy Buffet, and actress Gabrielle Union, who all jumped on stage to belt out their own interpretations of today’s hits and yesterday’s oldies.
Decked in costumes, wigs and flashy accessories that were provided by ABC Costume Shop and, with the help of some liquid courage by Becks and Bud Light, these celebs gave the audience one stellar performance. The signature fundraising event has become a favorite of those who attend as well as those who perform.
• The event began with Shane Battier, Ken Jeong and Greg Odom singing The Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way.
• LeBron James and Michael Beasley took on Juvenille’s Back That Ass Up.
• Norris Cole and a giant-dollar-signchain- wearing James Jones united for Jay- Z’s Holy Grail.
• Udonis Haslem, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, also known as “The Heatles” gave their best shot at the impossibly catchy Blurred Lines.
• Newly acquired Heat teammate Toney Douglas sang Montell Jordan’s This Is How We Do It.
• A special duet by Pat Riley and Jimmy Buffett performing a version of Marvin Gaye’s Heard It Through The Grapevine, with sidekicks Mario Chalmers and James Jones later joining them on stage
• James Jones, who gave a stunning performance of Sisqo’s Thong Song, emerged on stage with blonde hair, later stripping down for the performance
• Chris Bosh’s best rendition of It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones.
• Gabrielle Union, Heidi Battier, and Adreienne Bosh singing Friends In Low Places in a special girls only number, followed by a special performance by a number of “basketball wives” and girlfriends singing Baby Got Back.
• Battioke’s grand finale was the entire Heat team performing Get Low, led by LeBron and and Chris Bosh.
This year’s Battioke raised a recordbreaking $300,000 in auction items and ticket sales, totaling $120,000 more than last year’s event. Auction items included a champagne bottle which sold for $24,000; a day trip on an 80-foot luxury yacht with Shane, Heidi and a few Miami Heat teammates for $35,000; a special school assembly with Shane for $15,000, and a signed
“We Are The World Poster” coupled with floor seats to an upcoming Miami Heat game which sold for $7,000. A grand total of 400 general admission tickets were sold, with a VIP area of sponsor tables accommodating an additional 210 guests, making this Battioke’s largest year to date.
All Heat players, coaches and executives in attendance were issued gift bags for their participation, containing products contributed by Coordinates Collection, BPI Sports, DontHateMiami, TatPatch and Swiss Legend Watches, Singing Machine and Canvas On Demand. Battioke’s premiere sponsor was Lawns of Yorkshire.
