By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Jazwares president Laura Zebersky has been elected to chair the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
“Laura is a dynamic leader who has made a great impact during an important time in our chapter’s evolution,” said Norman Wedderburn, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
“With so many key initiatives ahead, she is the right person to chair this board that has enabled us to positively impact so many lives in communities across the state and overseas.”
Zebersky has served on the Board of Directors for the Southern Florida chapter of Make-A-Wish for three years. She will now lead the organization for a two-year term.
Her duties will include overseeing the opening of the Finker-Frenkel Wish House. The Finker-Frenkel Wish House is a permanent home for the nonprofit organization, as well as for the critically-ill children and families it serves. It is located in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.
“During the past few years, I have had the privilege of working closely with this amazing board and leadership team and have witnessed their incredible generosity to our community,” said Zebersky.
“I am so proud of our commitment and passion for the organization’s mission of granting life-changing wishes and am honored and humbled to have been selected as board chair to continue to meet the needs of every medically-eligible child referred to us.”
As President of Jazwares, Zebersky has helped the company grow to become the fifth largest toy manufacturer in the US. She also leads a philanthropic branch of the company called Jazwares Cares, which is dedicated to supporting the health and education of children through play.
Zebersky and her husband were both wish benefactors at the recent InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, an event that raised more than five million dollars for the non-profit organization. Both Zebersky and her husband are major contributors to the endowment and capital campaign of the Finker-Frenkel Wish House.
Make-A-Wish Southern Florida’s territory includes twenty-two counties and four regions in the US. These locations include southeast and southwest Florida, the Suncoast, Tampa Bay, and the Virgin Islands.
Since 1983, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida has granted more than 13,000 wishes for children who have critical illnesses. It aims to grant a wish for every medically eligible child in its territory and understands these experiences are necessary to the health and well-being of families at critical times in their lives.