Cocktails at the Metropolitan Club for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation's 3rd annual Luncheon & Symposium.

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation held its 3rd annual Luncheon & Symposium this past Thursday at the Metropolitan Club. The Symposium featured an interview with Dr. Steven Romano, Senior V-P, head of Medicines Development Group for Pfizer’s Primary Care Unit. The program began with a progress report on the development of Alzheimer’s drugs from Dr. Howard Fillit, ADDF Executive Director Paula Zahn was host. Leonard Lauder was Executive Chair along with Sir Evelyn and Lady de Rothschild and Nancy and Mel Goodes. Honorary Chairs were Nancy and Steven Crown, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Alice Shure and Joan Sutton-Straus. The Charles Evans Award, presented to individuals whose contributions advance the field of Alzheimer’s drug discovery and awareness, was awarded to Christopher Johnson, son of former New York Giants Running Back Ronald Johnson, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2008.

Leonard Lauder, Mel Goodes, Nancy Goodes, David Goodes, and Melanie Caceres

Cornelya Dorbin, Jennifer Rogers, Sara Ann Vaughan, Maggie Simmons, Mary Rose Taylor, Barbara Doyle, Victoria Manley, and Natalie DiSantis

Nancy Seltzer, Dr. Howard Fillit, and friend

Richard Solomon, Paula Root, and Maurice Sonnenberg

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Leonard Lauder, and Sharon Bush

Dr. Howard Fillit, Paula Zahn, and Leonard Lauder

Ann Tisch, Phebe Port, and Alexandra Trower

Hannah Pakula, Mel Goodes, and Nancy Corzine

Nancy Corzine, Deb Gray, Liz Robbins, Nancy Lynn, and Sarah Gund

Alexandra Lebenthal and Robin Meltzer

Maggie Simmons, Barbara Doyle, and Mary Rose Taylor

Dr. Steven J. Romano and Paula Zahn

Alice Shure, Christopher Johnson, and Bonnie Pfeifer Evans

Kathryn Steinberg, Alice Shure, and Bette-Ann Gwathmey

Roz Jacobs and Beth DeWoody

Ruth Baum, Pat Rowland, Jan Willinger, Cynthia Friedman, and Norma Teifel

Chuck Diker, Barbara Schwartz, Joel Ehrenkranz, and Frederick Melhado

Jeffrey Cohen, William Rose, Pamela Kurtz, Christopher Johnson, and David Noto

Alexandra Trower and Diane Coffey

John Walsh, Sarah Walsh, and Mitch Eichen

Silvia Zonana and Sharon Bush

Llewellyn Miller, Kevin Ryan, and Kate Pasik

Dr. Howard Fillit and Mary K. Bush

Carol Launer and James Moe

Nada Jain, Sharon Sager, and Gane Galasso

Robert and Renee Belfer

Christine Quinn and William Lauder

Ted Hartley and Paula Zahn

Nancy Shaw Raquet

Randal and Liz Sandler

Alice Shure, Kathryn Steinberg, and Sarah Good

Jessica Cohen, Conchita Tucker, Rachel Lane, and Maria Testani

Efrem Weiss, William Bocra Jr., William Rose, Ian Griggs, and David Noto

Buzz Zaino and Harriet Weintraub

Jef Cohen, George Reithoffer, Karen Johnson, and Michael Robinson

Vivian Cardia, Lisa Salibello, and Linda Hoffman

Carol Boulanger and William Lauder

Selden Illick, Christopher Illick, Jodie Eastman, and John Eastman

Shirley Maytag King, Yanni Antonopoulos, and Paula Root

Liz Robbins, Mitchell Lynn, and Nancy Lynn

Linda Sanders and Helena Wong

Nancy Corzine, Alison McCall, Peter Eliel, and Debra Krulewitch

Alana Duff, Silvia Zonana, Deb Gray, and Amanda Mulally

George Schiele, Merilee Bostock, and Carolee Friedlander

David Wilshin, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Charles Evans Jr., and Ann Dexter-Jones

Yanni Antonopoulos, Shirley Maytag King, and Joan Sutton Straus

Ernie Larini, Mitch Eichen, and Sara Walsh

This past Thursday night, Casita Maria held its Benefit "Fiesta" Kick-Off Party at the Chinese Porcelain Company supported by Marina B. Jacqueline Weld Drake, Aileen Mehle, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, and The Directors of The Chinese Porcelain Company hosted over 100 guests in celebration of the Casita Maria upcoming Fiesta Gala Honorees Lilly Scarpetta de Pumarejo, Pierre Durand, and Marina B. Jackie Weld Drake wore Elizabeth Taylor’s favorite diamond earrings. Ms. Taylor’s much-loved gems, were designed by the great Italian jeweler Marina B., who is one of this year’s “Fiesta" honorees. The earrings were described as, large cascade of rose-cut diamonds, issuing from a gold setting with diamond pave, they hang from ear lobe to shoulder (ET dubbed them her “shaggy earrings”).

Jackie Weld Drake perusing

Gala chairman Jackie Weld Drake also had friends, Muffie Potter Aston and Tiffany Dubin adorned in Marina B. sparkling jewels; Muffie wore a remarkable emerald pinky ring that was magnificent. Jean Shafiroff wore her own sparkling set of Maria B. jewels. Reinaldo Herrera escorted Benefit Chairmen Aileen Mehle to the event. The Chinese Porcelain Company lent display cases to Maria B. to showcase their beautiful jewelry all of the pieces that were at the event were also for sale, with 20 percent of the profits benefitting Casita Maria.

Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Muffie Potter Aston, Rodman Drake, and John Bernbach

Guest list includes: Ms. Ana Cristina Alvarado, Mr. and Mrs. William Bancroft, Mr. Fernando Batista, Mr. David Beer, Mrs. Marife Hernandez and Mr. Joel Bell, Mr. and Mrs. John Bernbach, Ms. Melissa Berkelhammer, Mr. Tony Bechara, Mr. Mario Buatta, Ms. Sarah Calderon, Ms. Liliana Cavendish, Mr. Guy Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Coleman, Ms. Amy Fine Collins, Mr. Rodman Drake, Ms. Arlene Dahl and Mr. Mark Rosen, Ms. Dayssi Olarte de Kavanos, Ms. Layla Khosrovani, Ms. Michele Gerber Klein, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Echavarria, Ms. Somers Farkas, Mr. Jamie Figg, Mr. Mark Gilbertson, Ms. Dominque Gallego, Mr. and Mrs. Ellery Gordon, Ms. Inmaculada de Habsburgo, Ms. Kathleen Hearst, Ms. Patricia Herrera,  Mr. and Mrs. Valentin Hernandez, Ms. Ms. Elizabeth Jacoby, Ms. Ann Dexter-Jones, Ms. Marta Jovanovic, Mr. Kenneth Jay Lane,  Ms. Iris Love, Mr. Sasha Leviant, Mr. Christopher Mason, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Meigher, Mr. and Mrs. Alberto Mejia, Mr. and Mrs. Horacio Milberg, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Miniter, Mr. and Mrs. Juan Pablo Molyneux, Ms. Ana Maria de la Ossa, Ms. Jeannie Pearman, Mr. Andres Rodriguez, Ms. Alexa Hamm Ryan, Ms. Georgina  Schaeffer, Ms. Mary Snow, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Shafiroff, Mr. Steven Stolman, Ms. Amanda Taylor, Adrienne and Gianluigi Vittadini, Ms. Wendy Vanderbilt,  and Bettina Zilkha. The non-profit’s annual Benefit (Fiesta 2012) is being held at the Mandarin Oriental on October 16. Mario Buatta will be Master of Ceremonies and guests will enjoy music by The Bob Hardwick Sound.

Patricia Herrera

Muffie Potter Aston and Somers Farkas

Amanda Taylor, Mary Snow, and Alexa Hamm Ryan

Tiffany Dubin, Jackie Weld Drake, and Andrew Ovaltree

Jean Shafiroff and Michelle Gerber-Klein

Juan Pablo Molyneux and Pilar Molyneux

Melissa Berkelhammer and Andrew Ovaltree

Layla Khosrovani and Sasha Leviant

Mark Rosen and Arlene Dahl

Ann Dexter Jones and Yaz Hernandez

Sarah Calderon and Elaine Delgado

Gillian Miniter and Sharon Bush

Liliana Cavendish and Tony Bechara

Robert Polette and Elizabeth Jacoby

Jackie Weld Drake and Christine Schwarzman

Marjorie and Ellery Gordon

Pierre Durand, Amy Fine Collins, and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia

Patricia Herrera, Erica Hertell, and Ana Maria de la Ossa

Kristi Witker Coons, Muffie Potter Aston, Jamie Figg, and Iris Love

Inmaculada de Habsburgo and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia

Olivia Flatto

Gaetana Enders

Bettina Zilkha and Leslie Tcheyan

Also last thursday night, BAM 30th Next Wave Gala marked the 30th Anniversary of the BAM Next Wave Festival and the 40th Anniversary of Garth Fagan Dance. The evening began with a cocktail party in the Lepercq Space of the Peter Jay Sharp Building, hosted by Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, his sister Irina Prokhorova, and the Mikhail Prokhorov Fund, where BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins announced a new artistic partnership between BAM and the Mikhail Prokhorov Fund—TransCultural Express: American and Russian Arts Today—which will bring contemporary Russian artists to BAM and American artists to Russia. Following the announcement, guests proceeded to the world premiere performance of Lighthouse/Lightning Rod from choreographer Garth Fagan, featuring music by Wynton Marsalis and the Wynton Marsalis Septet, and excerpts from Fagan’s Griot New York.

Gala dinner at Skylight One Hanson, décor courtesy Fleurs Bella

Guests including Sir Patrick Stewart, Philip Glass, Anna Kendrick, Billy King (Brooklyn Nets General Manager), Avery Johnson (Brooklyn Nets Head Coach), Brett Yormark (Brooklyn Nets CEO), Bruce Ratner, Goldman Sachs CFO Harvey Schwartz, and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz then joined Hopkins, and BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo, for a gala dinner with the artists around the corner at Skylight One Hanson.

Wynton Marsalis and Co-Chair Jonathan Rose

Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Avery Johnson and Cassandra Johnson

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

Joseph Melillo, Bruce Ratner, Marty Markowitz, Irina Prokhorova, Mikhail Prokhorov, Karen Brooks Hopkins, and Alan Fishman

Wynton Marsalis and Garth Fagan

Actress Anna Kendrick and her brother Michael

Garth Fagan (center) and his dancers

Goldman Sachs CFO Harvey Schwartz and Anne Hubbard

Patrick Stewart and Sunny Orzell

Choreographer Garth Fagan

Co-Chair Diana Rose and composer Philip Glass

Judith and Alan Fishman with Diane and Adam Max

Bruce Ratner, BAM Board Member MaryAnn Gilmartin, and Mikhail Prokhorov

Honorary Corporate Chair Pamela Codispoti and Irina Prokhorova

Photographs by PatrickMcMullan.com [1] (Alzheimer's); Etienne Frossard and Elena Olivo (BAM).