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Mandich, 5 years ago (Miami Herald)

Miami Dolphins radio commentator Jim Mandich (above left with Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat President Pat Riley) was well enough as he battles cancer of the bile duct to make a rare appearance at a Miami charity dinner the other night.  Mandich, 62, who was known as Mad Dog when he played tight end for the Dolphins, was awarded an Excellence in Sports Broadcasting award in an emotional ceremony bef0re dozens of local sports icons at the charity gala thrown by Miami Heat broadcasters Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Among those who played in the March 12 charity golf tournament and showed up for the gala: Former Heat standout Alonzo Mourning (below), U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and former Dolphins Jim Kiick, Bob Kuechenberg, Larry Little and A.J. Duhe. (Click here for more)

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For more about this story:

– Click here for the Fox Sports account of the dinner

Lipton Farris (left) with author Jackie Collins at Mar-a-Lago in 2008

Palm Beach has become a little less generous.

The grande dame of the island’s high society, Dame Celia Lipton Farris, passed away late Friday at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

Her family, including her two daughters, has not released the cause of death although several sources told me nothing seemed amiss with Lipton Farris a week ago.

“She seemed very happy when I called her on Monday,” said philanthropist Patrick Park, a close friend. “My understanding is that she was taken to the hospital on Wednesday.”

Funeral arrangements have not been made public and the plans right now call for a private funeral.

The 87-year-old Lipton Farris was a former child star in her native England and a former Broadway actress and singer who made giving to charity an art form.

A rarity in Palm Beach: Lipton Farris, the widow inventor Victor Farris, loathed talking numbers but may have been giving well over $1 million a year!

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The level of success of the first ever formal gala held in Palm Beach for a charity founded by well-known resident Nancy Brinker “exceeded expectations” Friday night at Mar-a-Lago, according to shindig publicist Chase Scott.

The Susan G. Komen For the Cure, the breast-cancer non-profit better known the yearly race and pink ribbons, raised over $800,000 during dinner at the private club.

– Click here for the event gallery by Mike Jachles

About 300 good-hearted folks paid $1,000 each to be at the pink-colored gala chaired by socialite Patty Myura. The entertainment included a Brazilian carnival band (above).

Mar-a-Lago owner Donald Trump (below) addressed the crowd — after being introduced without flinching as “the next president of the United States.”

Spotted at the tables: Brinker; Clint Robertson, finalist of season 10 of The Apprentice; WPBF-Channel 25 General Manager Caroline Tapplett and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

“For an inaugural event in a bad economy, this was an outstanding result,” Scott said.

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For more galas:

– Disco diva Gloria Gaynor at the Caron Renaissance fiesta

– Jay Leno, Allen West shine at Boys & Girls Club gala

James, against the Bulls Sunday (AP Photo)

The booing, four-game losing streak and tears shed in the locker room aren’t LeBron James‘ only problems these days.

The Miami Heat’s golden child, 25, is being sued by the owners of a nightclub in Atlanta who claim breach of contract he reneged on a promise to show up at their joint, Opera, March 17.

The Miami Heat, who lost a big game at home Sunday against the Chicago Bulls after James missed a layup, are scheduled to fly into the ATL that night for a March 18 game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The owners of Opera claim they had an agreement with James that he’d show up for an hour in exchange for $25,000, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

You read right. That’s $25,000 for an hour of standing around and looking like he’s having a good time!

Instead, James is announced at a rival club in Buckhead that night. The lawsuit claims James already received a $15,000-deposit for his promise to show up at Gold Room.

James’ aura is “crucial” to business at Opera, according to the suit filed in Atlanta, “and the public has an expectation that defendant James will appear at Opera.”

Opera would suffer “irreparable injury, loss and damage” if James appears at the Gold Room, the AJC reports.

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Gala Chairwoman Petra Levin (above, left) went back to the relaxed society-function concept that she tried out last year for the 2011 Caron Renaissance gala and, once again, it worked.

A record 400-plus supporters of the drug and alcohol rehab clinics, including one in Boca, gathered at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach to mingle and munch on fancy buffet food poolside. Then, everyone headed into the grand ballroom to hear Gloria Gaynor (above, with Levin and socialite Nicole Munder) intone some of her 1970s anthems, including  I Will Survive.

– Click here for the Michael Price photos of the event

In tribute to Gaynor, Levin had the ballroom decorated to look like the old Studio 54, the legendary New York City disco.

“I figured it’d be different from the same old,” said Levin, a former Miss Germany.

It was different, and in the end, the non-profit was $800,000 richer.

(Click here for all the Michael Price photos of the event)

More on this story:

– Click here for coverage of the 2009 Caron Renaissance gala

– Click here for coverage of the 2010 Caron Renaissance gala

– Click here for coverage of this year’s Palm Beach Zoo Gala

– Click here for coverage of this year’s Everglades Foundation Gala