“We contributed to this incredible program during fundraising efforts at the event, but we aren’t done yet,” said Ira Leesfield, the board-certified attorney who leads both the firm and The Foundation. “The Park Steward Program is something that this city needs.”

Mr. Leesfield, who has been a part of The Underline’s Board of Directors since 2023, is in full support of the program, which was launched with Chapman Partnership and funded by the Lennar Foundation. By connecting a person who is unhoused — often in coordination with Chapman Partnership — with paid employment opportunities, the program offers these individuals a new set of skills and the chance to be financially independent. This opportunity, designed as a steppingstone for long-term employment, means they will be in charge of opening and/or closing areas within The Underline’s 10-mile linear park, monitoring conditions in the area, cleaning walkways and playgrounds, and maintaining green spaces.

For one young man who suffered a career-ending injury while playing football at Atlantis University, the program offered him a way “out of a bad environment.” Before being connected with the program, he had been living out of his car.

“It’s a pipeline for the homeless community,” he told The Underline. “I can build my resume, get my experience, and then transition into a new job. The growth is exponential.”

In addition to supporting the Park Stewards Program, The Foundation funded the transformation of a section of The Underline into a sculpture garden. Located directly across the street from Leesfield & Partners, the garden gives the firm a “new front yard.” At its center stands a bronze sculpture by renowned Uruguayan artist Pablo Atchugarry. The Leesfield Family Garden serves as a welcoming space where parkgoers can admire the sculpture — Estrella De Luz — and pause before continuing on their way. For civic-minded individuals like Mr. Leesfield, projects like these offer a tangible way to make a positive impact on the community.

“‍With the Park Stewards Program, The Underline has created something more meaningful for our community and the people within it,” Mr. Leesfield said. “At the end of the day, supporting people is really an investment in Miami’s future.”

In Miami, where The Leesfield Family Foundation is headquartered, things are no different.

“Mostly, our Leesfield Family Foundation is trying to set an example for other potential donors and philanthropists to help make a difference, no matter where or how much,” The Foundation Chair, Ira Leesfield, said in a previous interview with Authority Magazine.

Over the last year, the Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners has lived out this example, keeping firm to his organization’s motto of “generosity, warmth, and reassurance.”

‘Make a Difference’

The Foundation has spread its reach far beyond South Florida from providing disaster relief following harrowing wildfires in California, the tragic Fourth of July floods in Texas and ongoing relief efforts to World Central Kitchen in Ukraine. Closer to home, The Foundation has faithfully supported the work of organizations such as Live Like Bella, Amigos for Kids, the Fatherhood Taskforce of South Florida, and Monroe County food banks as a part of a decades-long tradition.

“You don’t have to be a giant charitable organization to make a difference,” Mr. Leesfield said.

Other organizations being supported by The Foundation include Friends of The Underline, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the previously unused land underneath Miami’s Metrorail system into a 10-mile linear park and urban trail.

On Dec. 2, 2025, Mr. Leesfield and The Leesfield Family Foundation celebrated the debut of Estrella de Luz, a bronze sculpture by Uruguayan artist Pablo Atchugarry to mark the official opening of The Leesfield Family Garden. The space, located directly across the street from the Leesfield & Partners personal injury law firm on South Dixie Highway, has been a project over a year in the making, involving collaboration between Mr. Leesfield, the Piero Atchugarry Gallery, and The Underline.

“We got to change our front yard …. We got to change our view,” Mr. Leesfield said about the opening of the space. “And I said, ‘this is a natural fit!’ And we got to make a difference.”

‘An Admirable Goal’

With an emphasis on women’s and children’s initiatives, Mr. Leesfield has also sponsored numerous academic and athletic scholarships and organizations providing essential services such as housing, meals, medical care and financial assistance to those in need.

Next month, Key West High School will launch the second annual Dexter Butler College Scholarship sponsored by Leesfield & Partners and The Leesfield Family Foundation. The scholarship began last year as a tribute to Dexter Butler, a teacher and close friend of the Leesfield family, who died in March 2024. Since his death, Butler is perhaps best remembered for leaving a profound mark on the lives of his students, particularly the young athletes he coached and guided.

In speaking about the group of applicants — all of whom were college-bound athletes on the Key West High School’s basketball team — Mr. Leesfield said he was impressed by their kindness and unwavering support of their communities.

“These young men aspire to live out the example left behind by Dexter Butler — an admirable goal,” he said. “I commend their efforts and encourage them to continue this work going forward.”

For more information about the Dexter Butler College Scholarship, or how to apply, please call 305-854-4900 or email Sanchez@Leesfield.com.

The Foundation’s contributions during the online fundraiser include Baptist Health, Friends of The Underline, Amigos for Kids, the Overtown Youth Center and more.

Give Miami Day began in 2011 to encourage essential contributions to organizations across South Florida that provide services for those in need. To date, the online giving event, which has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast United States, has raised more than $100 million for local services.

Along with Give Miami Day, The Leesfield Family Foundation is donating to Monroe County organizations aiming to provide meals, shelter and other essentials to individuals and families this November in Key West, where Leesfield & Partners has an office on historic Whitehead Street. The Foundation is also contributing to several food banks in New Jersey during the holiday season.

For The Foundation, which also funds scholarships and contributes to disaster aid relief year-round, Give Miami Day is a reflection of its motto — generosity, warmth and reassurance.

The generosity regularly shown by Foundation Chair Ira Leesfield comes from the help he received as a young student to continue his education.

“I have a deep feeling of gratitude for what was done for me, and as soon as I could, I began to pay that generosity back,” Mr. Leesfield said.

About the Overtown Youth Center: 

The Overtown Youth Center has provided educational, recreational, and developmental support to young people and children for over 20 years in South Florida. As part of the organization’s goal to empower the youth through educational programs, OYC also provides mentorship opportunities, life skills development and leadership training.

For more information about the Overtown Youth Center and its programs, please visit: https://oycmiami.org/. 

About Friends of The Underline:

Meg Daly started Friends of The Underline after walking beneath the previously unused land beneath Miami-Dade County’s Metrorail system. Today, over a decade later, the space has been transformed into a trail for bikers, runners and walkers alike as well as community gathering spaces. The Underline’s work is outlined in three phases. Phase two, named the “Hammock Trail,” is in progress and covers over two miles connecting Southwest 13th St. to Southwest 19th Ave. Work on phase three of the project is expected to begin in 2025. The Underline relies completely on private funds, sponsorships and grants.

The Friends of The Underline Sneaker Ball, the organization’s first gala fundraiser, took place in September and The Leesfield Family Foundation Chairs Ira and Cynthia Leesfield were on the event’s host committee. In March 2023, Mr. Leesfield was elected to its Board of Directors.

For more information about Friends of The Underline, please visit:  https://www.theunderline.org/

About Amigos for Kids: 

Amigos for Kids got its start in 1991 to provide services for children and parents in South Florida such as after-school care, parent education and community resources. Since then, the organization has helped provide essential services to countless families and has spread child abuse prevention and awareness throughout the country.

For more information about Amigos for Kids, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Fatherhood-Task-Force-of-South-FloridaFTFSF-100064482498224/

About Live Like Bella: 

Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing funding for pediatric cancer research in addition to supplying essential services to families affected by childhood cancer. It is named for Bella Rodriguez-Torres, a little girl who died in 2013 after a diagnosis of Stage Four Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Live Like Bella was started by her family after her death to promote her good-natured and jovial spirit and help families just like theirs who have suffered because of this disease.

As part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Live Like Bella hosted “Bella’s Ball,” the organization’s annual charity gala, in which The Leesfield Family Foundation and Leesfield & Partners were the event’s Special Awards Sponsors honoring family and community members who have supported brave children battling cancer.

“He [Mr. Leesfield] is a great connector for people with the best interest of the community in mind,” said Live Like Bella CEO, Nicole de Lara Puente, of The Foundation’s impact. “That’s the kind of person he is. He does it because it is the right thing to do.”

For more information about Live Like Bella, please visit: https://livelikebella.org/ 

About The YES Institute: 

Since the 90s, the YES Institute has provided essential services and a sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ youth in South Florida. The organization began as Project YES and was created by Connie Barden and Martha Fugate to provide services to LGBTQIA+ youth in a bid to prevent suicide and self-harm. Numerous studies have shown that, historically, LGBTQIA+ youth are at a greater risk of dying by suicide or engaging in self-harm than their straight and cisgender peers. The Centers for Disease Control released a 2021 survey that showed that 26.3% of LGB high school respondents attempted suicide in the last year compared to 5.2% of straight high school respondents. The organization aims to create safe spaces in which young people feel that they belong despite gender or sexual orientation.

For more information about Live Like Bella, please visit: https://yesinstitute.org/

About Baptist Health: 

The Leesfield Family Foundation will honor the life and extraordinary legacy of Dr. Michael Zinner on Give Miami Day via a donation to the Baptist Health Foundation, which funds necessary medical research, clinical trials, and scholarships for future medical professionals.  Dr. Zinner’s positive impact on the lives of his patients, friends, colleagues and family cannot be measured and he will be missed dearly. The Leesfield Family makes this contribution in tribute to Dr. Zinner.

For more information about The Baptist Health Foundation, please visit: https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-foundation

For more information about The Leesfield Family Foundation, please visit: www.LeesfieldFamilyFoundation.org. 

Over the years, The Foundation has broadened its scope, placing a strong emphasis on initiatives that support women and children.

“Our giving is rooted in gratitude, using my extra resources to help others instead of accumulating more,” Mr. Leesfield has previously said. “I gain great satisfaction from helping others.”

On Saturday, March 8, people from all over the world will come together to celebrate and highlight the accomplishments of female leaders throughout history. In today’s world, celebrating women’s achievements and paving the way for future opportunities has never been more important. Women have long been the backbone of households and communities. Studies show that when women are educated, their children are 50% more likely to pursue higher education. The Leesfield Family Foundation understands that empowering women through initiatives that ensure safety and promote education is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of generations to come.

Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers

As a boy growing up on a single mother’s budget, Mr. Leesfield learned the true meaning of hard work. His mother earned 90 cents to a dollar an hour and though money for the shiny things in life may have been scarce, there was no shortage of love, kindness and support in the Leesfield household.

Now, in his 70s with a thriving personal injury law firm, Mr. Leesfield has made it a habit of giving back to hardworking women and mothers much like his own.

A permanent endowment of The Foundation is the Sookie Williams Scholarship, awarded through the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, in honor of Sookie Williams, a champion for women’s rights within the legal community and beyond.

Williams’ boldness, like most women who make their mark on history, was not adequately appreciated during her heyday, but was necessary for change. She got a presidential citation for her work during the war helping to build the atomic bomb, according to her obituary. In her 102 years, Williams worked diligently to close the gender pay gap, earned an honorary membership in the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, was honored in 2011 as a Legal legend and worked as editor of the Daily Business Review.

“Sookie was a woman of valor, and a woman of valor makes the world change,” Mr. Leesfield said. “She called our attention to things that really matter – dignity, work, love and kindness.”

In addition to the Sookie Williams Scholarship, The Foundation also gives out a law school scholarship in partnership with the American Association for Justice. The 2024 recipient of this decades-long academic scholarship was Lainie Long Hoffer, a second-year law student at the American University Washington College of Law.

In a letter to Mr. Leesfield, Ms. Hoffer, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, expressed her gratitude for the scholarship to continue her studies.

“Mr. Leesfield, I am so grateful to you and the members of your foundation for the generous scholarship,” Ms. Hoffer wrote in her letter. “Your team did an excellent job in both presenting at AAJ as well as teaching engaging curriculum on Resort Tort litigation … Thank you again for your continuous generosity to law students.”

The Melissa Institute

The Melissa Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to violence prevention and treatment via education, community service and research. The organization was born out of tragedy following the unthinkable murder of Melissa Aptman in May of 1995.

At the time, Ms. Aptman, originally from Miami, was looking forward to a visit later that month from her family for her upcoming graduation from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. In a carjacking both Ms. Aptman and a friend were abducted and shot. Tragically, Ms. Aptman died as a result of her injuries. She was 20 years old.

Her friend survived and, after helping police and prosecutors find and convict the assailants, has since gone on to graduate law school.

A year after Ms. Aptman’s murder, her friends and family banded together with violence prevention experts to establish the institute in her name. Mr. Leesfield has been a long-time supporter of The Melissa Institute and has served as an honorary Board Member since at least 2013.

In 2016, when a gunman killed 49 people and wounded over 50 others at Pulse, a gay-friendly nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Mr. Leesfield was grief-stricken. Flags, messages from loved ones and weather-worn teddy bears were left at the site of the violent attack in memoriam of the people who were viciously killed. As these images were splashed across news broadcasts and accompanied articles in the paper, Mr. Leesfield did not hesitate to send aid to help grieving families.

The Leesfield Family Foundation gives ongoing support to local initiatives such as the Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida, Kristi House, Lotus House, Amigos for Kids, the Yes Institute, which is the source for knowledge on gender and sexual orientation. In addition to these organizations, Mr. Leesfield also works closely with Live Like Bella, a pediatric cancer foundation, and Friends of The Underline.

Click Here for an in-depth look at The Foundation’s support to women’s and children’s initiatives.

“It [the contribution] came at a time when we really needed the support,” Pavone, who joined the organization in January 2020, said. “We always need the support but it was extremely needed during the pandemic.” 

At that time, she said, Amigos for Kids, an organization that started in 1991 to provide services for children and parents in South Florida, was overrun with families in need. As a result of COVID-19, frontline workers and those in hospitality were greatly affected causing an “alarming” rate of food and housing insecurity. With the worry of figuring out how to fund rent assistance and families’ electricity and grocery bills, the annual contribution was not only a welcomed surprise for Pavone but also a saving grace. When she asked her team about it, she said, they simply nodded along and explained that The Foundation was among some of the organization’s regular donors. 

With the timing of the annual contribution, Pavone said that they mostly put it toward back-to-school efforts like their Blue Backpack Project or the annual holiday toy drive. For many families, this contribution supplies the “only gifts” many of the children will be gifted for the holidays and ensures they get back to school with the proper tools to succeed. 

“There is no reason why there should be any child that goes back to school without the proper supplies to set them up for success and we see that as our calling and supporters like Mr. Leesfield help us to do that,” Pavone said. 

‘It is the right thing to do.’

Amigos for Kids is not the only child-centered organization under The Leesfield Family Foundation umbrella. Others include The Overtown Youth Center, a 20-year-old initiative creating programs for over 5,000 youths and their families and serving approximately 1,800 households in South Florida, and Live Like Bella, a foundation focused on eradicating childhood cancer and supporting families affected by the disease.

Of the relationship with Live Like Bella and The Foundation, LLB CEO Nicole Lara Puente said it began with Mr. Leesfield coming through their door stating he wanted “to help.”

“He is a great connector for people with the best interest of the community in mind,” De Lara Puente said. “That’s the kind of person he is. He does it because it is the right thing to do.”

It is this strong desire to help those in need that has kept Mr. Leesfield searching for ways to support local organizations and get involved in their initiatives over the years. 

It began in 1990 when he and his family launched The Leesfield Family Foundation intending to focus on women’s and children’s initiatives as an homage to the help he received from his community as a child raised by a single mother. In its 34 years, The Foundation has donated millions to various organizations geared toward serving children and their well-being in Miami-Dade County and nationally. Through support from Leesfield & Partners, one of Florida’s top personal injury law firms for over four decades, The Foundation has made an indelible impact on communities all over the United States and abroad. From disaster relief following hurricanes to the continued support of World Central Kitchen feeding war-torn Ukraine and the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, The Foundation has been there to pledge its support for them all. 

‘I began to pay that generosity back.’

His ineluctable need to pass on the kindness and good fortune he has received comes from his childhood. Mr. Leesfield said in a previous interview with Lifestyles Magazine. 

“I have a deep feeling of gratitude for what was done for me, and as soon as I could, I began to pay that generosity back,” Mr. Leesfield said. 

As promised in The Foundation motto, generosity, warmth and reassurance are felt by all who encounter The Leesfield Family Foundation and its three chairs, Ira, Cynthia and Jennifer Leesfield. This motto was created to mimic those who helped Mr. Leesfield throughout high school and college as he went through law school to become a burgeoning young attorney. Mr. Leesfield served on the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse and in June received the 2024 Leader Award from The Fatherhood Task Force of South Florida, an organization dedicated to promoting fathers’ roles in their children’s lives. 

The Task Force has had the backing of The Foundation since its beginning and its President and CEO, Holly Zwerling had this to say about working with Mr. Leesfield: 

“It’s like a family being supported by The Leesfield Family Foundation.” 

Over three decades later and that mission has expanded ten-fold. Today The Leesfield Family Foundation sponsors numerous grants, scholarships and relief efforts within the family’s home base of South Florida and all over the world. The family has been recognized for their efforts and devotion to public service by local and national organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, the Florida Justice Association and The American Jewish Committee. The Leesfields are also proud to have spent the last 23 years working with and supporting the Clinton Foundation and to continue that work via the Clinton Global Initiative, which aims to identify and take action in areas such as climate resilience, health equity and inclusive economic recovery and growth.

Disaster Relief 

Most recently, The Leesfield Family Foundation celebrated its continued support of World Central Kitchen and its efforts to get nutritious meals to families of refugees and troops in Ukraine. Two years after Russia first invaded Ukraine, The Leesfield Family Foundation has helped to feed millions of people whose lives and homes have been uprooted by the conflict. 

The Leesfield Family Foundation is proud to continue supporting World Central Kitchen in its efforts to continue feeding families in war-torn Ukraine.

In reporting from The New York Times, it was estimated via radar satellite data that the two-year war has destroyed around 210,000 buildings across an 800-mile stretch from cities like Ukraine, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson. The once full and operational buildings include over 900 hospitals, churches and schools that made up communities now desolate and shattered. The number of felled buildings, according to The Times’s analysis, is more than if every building in Manhattan was destroyed, four times over. The devastation to these cities, once bustling with children off to school and families sitting around a table for dinner, is wrenchingly evident. In addition to The Foundation’s support, the Leesfield family has also pledged to match every contribution it receives dollar-for-dollar to help World Central Kitchen continue its work feeding Ukrainians in need. For more information on how to contribute, please visit www.LeesfieldFamilyFoundation.org.

Ira and Cynthia Leesfield sit on the host committee for The Underline Sneaker Ball which will take place on Sept. 28, 2024.

Local Support  

On the home front, The Leesfield Family Foundation continues its support of local organizations such as Live Like Bella, the Fatherhood Task Force, Lotus House, Amigos for Kids as well as many others. “We continue our long-term involvement … as part of our ongoing commitment to improve the quality of Florida life for children and families,” The Leesfield Foundation said in a statement describing almost four decades “of caring” within its South Florida community.  

The Underline Sneaker Ball

In March 2023, Friends of The Underline elected Ira Leesfield onto its Board of Directors. In September, The Underline will host its Sneaker Ball, a concept that invites attendees to pair formal attire with a favored pair of tennis shoes, to promote its work on the Underline, a 10-mile linear park below the city’s Metrorail system, a portion of which is located across the street from the Leesfield & Partners office on South Dixie Highway. That land will be transformed into an urban park space and will be named on behalf of the family. Ira and Cynthia Leesfield sit on the host committee for the event which is set to take place on Sept. 28, 2024, at Brickell City Centre. 

Attendees are encouraged to lace up their best, “fashion-forward” sneakers for the occasion. Tickets go for $500, each, with sponsorship packages ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. To register for the event, go to https://www.theunderline.org/sneakerball/.

Scholarship Opportunity

Dexter Butler was known in life for his kindness and dedication to mentoring his students at Key West High School. Via a scholarship, The Leesfield Family Foundation aims to keep that legacy going in his name.

Since it began in 1990, the Leesfield Family Foundation has been dedicated to women’s and children’s initiatives, disaster relief and scholarships. The education of The Foundation’s very own, Ira Leesfield, was achieved with the help of scholarships. 

“Since I was raised in a culture of scholarships and financial assistance, the Leesfield Family Foundation is a natural outlet for my family to now express its thanks to the less fortunate and those in need,” Leesfield said on The Foundation’s website. 

In The Foundation’s tradition of giving back, it is launching another scholarship this time in honor of the late Dexter Butler, a Key West High School teacher and coach who died in March 2024. The $2,500 athletic scholarship will be awarded to a student of exceptional academic standing and will afford Butler’s family the comfort of knowing their son’s legacy of supporting and guiding young students will not be forgotten. 

Butler is described as being “full of life” and who seemed to love those around him with a kindness that left an “indelible impact.” Through this scholarship, Butler’s work to support and guide his students will continue. 

Grant applications and scholarship requests for 2024 and 2025 are now being accepted. For more information, please visit www.LeesfieldFamilyFoundation.org or email Carmen Marrero at marrero@leesfield.com.

“Eileen was a dear friend of our family and an incredible wife, mother and community leader.  We proudly continue our support in memory of her legacy,” said Ira Leesfield.

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