NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Beth Carper, Press & Media Relations Manager
(904) 562-5988 / beth@floridatheatre.com
JUST ANNOUNCED!
DAVID BENFIELD, CO-HOST OF FIRST COAST LIVING
TO BE THE MC/AUCTIONEER
OF THE FLORIDA THEATRE BALL: 90’S STYLE
ON SATURDAY, MAY 17TH
ONLY 8 INDIVIDUAL TICKETS LEFT!
BID ON SILENT AUCTION ITEMS NOW!
JACKSONVILLE, FL (May 7, 2025) – This just in: David Benfield, Co-Host of First Coast Living, will be the MC/Auctioneer of “The Florida Theatre Ball: 90’s Style” presented by DEX Imaging on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the historic Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville!
David Benfield joined First Coast Living as co-host in 2023. Prior to joining the team, David worked extensively in Jacksonville media as Director of Video Production for San Marco-based advertising firm, Client Focused Media, and photographer and digital content editor at News4Jax.
David is also a working musician and actor. David’s band, Dakar, can be seen rocking Jacksonville’s local concert venues, and you can catch his acting work on national commercials for companies like Ethos Life and Ford Motor Company.
David is a performer by nature and is ecstatic to have the opportunity to be the MC/Auctioneer of “The Florida Theatre Ball: 90’s Style,” where you can support the arts, get jiggy with Quad City DJ and Bold City Classics, enjoy fly cocktails, and win big in the silent auction!
So, dress up in your best 1990s goth, grunge, or prep gear and come support the Florida Theatre's mission to preserve a unique historic Jacksonville landmark.
There are only 8 individual tickets left! You can buy them here, or you can purchase a sponsorship here. In addition, the silent auction is live and you can bid on items here until May 17th at 10 p.m. Auction items make great gifts and include everything from prestigious golf packages, to exotic trips, to signed memorabilia by famous Florida Theatre artists, to top shelf wine & spirits, plus much more (Viking River Cruise, Dinner on the Florida Theatre Stage, Backstreet Boys @ The Sphere, Your Name on the Florida Theatre Tapestries for a Year, gift cards to local attractions, etc.). All proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Florida Theatre.
Susan DuBow is Chair of the Host Committee for “The Florida Theatre Ball: 90’s Style” event. With the help of The Florida Theatre Ball Host Committee Members Martha Barrett, Chris & Karen Bernhardt, Jim Efstathion, Gloria Fabian, Tabitha Furyk, Wes & Elizabeth Jennison, Tracey Kenney, Gasper & Irene Lazarra, Angela Merritt, Michelle Mullen, Brian & Diane Rose, Doug & Ginny Schlosser, Michael & Alison Snyder, and Brian Ware, the event is sure to be a hit.
Since the first Ball in 2013, The Florida Theatre Ball has raised over $1.8 million to preserve and maintain the majestic Theatre, which will turn 100 in 2027. Past themes have included Vegas Style, The Big Easy, Hollywood, The Eighties, Studio 54, The Roaring Twenties, The Future, and The Fifties.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible, one-time or ongoing monetary gift to the historic non-profit Florida Theatre, please click here.
The Florida Theatre is a treasure to Jacksonville. We are fortunate to have a venue that offers a diverse range of entertainment for our City. Dex Imaging is honored to be sponsoring the Florida Theatre Ball again this year. We love helping this historic, nonprofit Theatre with its mission as they have been fostering these connections for nearly 100 years in our Jacksonville community. ~Angela Merritt, Senior Account Manager with DEX Imaging, Inc.
The net proceeds from The Florida Theatre Ball are just about 1 percent of our entire budget every year, but they’re 100 percent of our ability to keep the special programs that make the Florida Theatre a special place alive. Programs like free tickets to Title 1 schools for arts education programs, free tickets for veterans, active-duty military, and first responders, and preserving the Florida Theatre itself with fidelity to its architectural history. If you were once a child on a school bus traveling downtown to the Florida Theatre to see your first live theatrical performance, this is your chance to pay it forward and have a good time doing it. ~Numa Saisselin, President of the Florida Theatre
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About the Florida Theatre
There is something for everyone at the Florida Theatre. From pop, jazz, rock, comedy, country, and blues to ballet, the historic Florida Theatre annually offers over 200 cultural and entertainment events for every taste and age. For tickets or to learn more about our educational performances for schools, rentals, membership, or the nonprofit corporation that manages this majestic place, please visit us at www.floridatheatre.com.