 |
West Village foliage. 1:00 PM. Photo: JH.
|
Another beautiful day in New York. The President was in town and at the Waldorf for part of the day, with his “security” tying up traffic on the East Side of Manhattan from 42nd Street right up to the East 80s. It might be easy to blame it on the President but it’s not his fault. I’ve written about this dilemma before. It’s been going on for several administrations now and it’s more than a drag for the citizens of the city; it’s ridiculous. More and more politicians, including our local ones have become obsessed with so-called security, riding around in black vans with red lights spinning, pushing everyone out of the way for them to pass, not unlike the Politburo on the streets of Moscow.
 |
 |
| Myra Biblowit and Evelyn Lauder at last night's “The Hot Pink Party Goes Cool” |
Governor Corzine did much the same thing in New Jersey last week. Alas, for him and his so-called “security,” traveling far above the speed limit, as he was, and coming closer to death’s door thanks to the foolishness of him or whomever was ordered to take risks of speed and safety. In Manhattan where daily traffic is always on the edge of gridlock thanks to TOO MANY vehicles and the chronic double parking of trucks, vans and limousines (not to mention private cars from out of state – NJ and Connecticut mainly), blocking off whole streets and avenues for the so-called security of one person is nothing more than dimwitted arrogance, and hardly safe for anyone, presidents, mayors, senators or ordinary shleppers like you and me. Groan.
Last night Evelyn Lauder presided over her annual evening fund-raising gala in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. This year’s party was entitled “The Hot Pink Party Goes Cool.”
Honorary Chairs were President and Mrs. Bush and Vice-President and Mrs. Cheney. Co-chairmen were Fabiola Beracasa, Marjorie Reed Gordon, Cornelia Guest, Donna Karan, Kinga Lampert, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Cynthia Lufkin, Ingrid Sischy and Sandra Brant, Linda Stein and Vera Wang. Elizabeth Hurley made the opening remarks, followed by Mrs. Lauder, Myra Biblowit, the head of BCRF and Dr. Larry Norton. |
 |
The Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's “The Hot Pink Party Goes Cool”
|
 |
|
| Governor Spitzer and Silda Wall Spitzer |
After the dinner and the auction (conducted by Ms. Hurley and Mrs. Lauder) Sheryl Crow and Sir Elton John performed for the 1100 guests. They raised $4.5 million, expanding the total raised since Mrs. Lauder created this foundation a little more than eleven years ago, to almost $170 million.
Down the street (49th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues), over at Christie’s auction galleries, there was also a fundraising dinner for Silda Wall Spitzer’s Children For Children organization.
They raised $1.5 million – a record for the cause. The governor’s wife and Mrs. Lauder are admirers of each other’s work and, as NYSD readers might recall, they met just last week at Michael’s when Mrs. Spitzer was lunching with me, and realized their events were slated for the same night. |
 |
Joel Klein and Cynthia McFadden |
|
 |
Governor Spitzer, Marcia Vickers, and David Rynecki |
|
 |
Maggie Jones and Lesley Stevens |
|
Comments? Contact DPC here |
|
|
|
