Gwen and Noel Hankin

Co-hostesses Brenda Blackmon and Lauren Green

Harriet Michel and Rev. Al Sharpton

More than 700 New Yorkers and national movers and shakers attended A Tribute to Women Leaders as One Hundred Black Men Inc. of New York City (OHBM) saluted four history-making women – Harriet Michel, President of the National Minority Supuplier Development Council; Treasurer of the State of Connecticut, Denise Nappier; Dr. Adelaide Sanford, Vice Chanellor Emeritus of the State of New York Board of Regents, and Susan Taylor, Editor Emeritus of Essence magazine and founder, National Cares Mentoring Movement – at its 28th Annual Benefit Gala.

Eagle Academy For Young Men students with New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein

Guests at the VIP reception included former Mayor David Dinkins and Mrs. Dinkins, Congressman Gregory Meeks, New York City Comptroller William Thompson, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, New York Ctiy Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, OHBM Chairman Emeritus Thomas Dortch, Judge Tanya Kennedy, Dr. and Mrs. Harold Freeman, and benefit co-host Laurel Green. One Hundred Black Men Inc. of New York City was founded in 1963 when a group of successful African-American men, including Judge Robert Mangum, David Dinkins and businessman J. Bruce Llewellyn pooled their resources to positively impact the black community. Other members have included the late Johnnie Cochran, Bill Cosby, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, Congressman Charles Rangel, and Gregory Meeks.

Bernard and Valerie Lancaster Beal with State Senator Kevin Parker

Bennie Hadnott

Denise Nappier and Dr. Adelaide Sanford

NYC Comptroller William Thompson, Denise Nappier, Rev. Al Sharpton, Susan Taylor, and Philip Banks, Jr.

Denise Nappier and David Dinkins

Inez Alexander and Warren Whitlock

Rev. Jacques DeGraff, Assemblyman Michael and Mrs. Benjamin, Philip Banks, Jr.

Greg and Wendy Floyd with Ellen and Mark Wagar

Saundra Gonzalez-Lire, Phil Banks, Jr., and Steven Williams

Philip Banks, Jr., Harriet Michel, and Fitzgerald Miller

Hafiz Williams, Jr., State Senator Kevin Parker, Congressman Gregory Meeks, and Damien Brown

Robin Verges and Harriet Michel

Ian Moore, Brenda Blackmon, and Lauren Green

Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr., Carol White, and Fitzroy Searles

Rudy Clause escorts Denise Nappier

Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr., Gil McGriff, NYC Comptroller William Thompson

Show prep

Thomas Dortch with David and Marion Banks

Dr. Adelaide Sanford, Kevin Parker, and Susan Taylor

Dr. Adelaide Sanford, Harriet Michel, and Susan Taylor

Stanley Gleaton and Judge Tanya Kennedy

Susan L. Taylor, Westina Matthews Shatteen, Jeanne Parnell, and Donna Williams

Yvette Crespo and Hafiz Williams, Jr.

Two Saturdays ago at The New York Public Library on Fifth and 42nd, the Library Cubs Program held a Story Corner, Puppet Show Valentines party for the little ones. The Mission of the Library Cubs Program is to raise funds to further The New York Public Library’s mission of providing free and open access to knowledge, while also promoting the importance of reading and libraries to families.  Each year more than five million children use the Library as a place to pursue dreams, feed their curiosity and let their imaginations soar. Funds from the Library Cubs Program will help ensure the availability of resources for children at The New York Public Library. Did you have a Public Library in your life when you were a kid? I did. Puppet shows on Saturday mornings, readings, story-tellings, and books and books and books ... a treasure trove for the child. Free and clear and riches that will last a lifetime. I can still remember much of it as if it were yesterday. The gift of reading is one of the greatest gifts that any child can receive – a solace, a rescue, a million dreams to cultivate the character as well as the imagination. You can see the potential on the faces of the little ones in these pictures.

Cubs co-chair Amanda Benchley and son Teddy

The Center for the Book Arts teaches the art of bookbinding in Valentine Hallway

Gavin McFarland and daughter Louisa

Cubs Co-Chair Katie Michel and daughter Sadie

Cubs Committee Member Kathryn Tucker and daughter Lulu

Kerri Ruscito and husband Nick Clavin with their child Hudson

The puppet show

Cubs Co-Chair Vicky Ward and son Lorcan

In Woody Allen’s latest film, Cassandra’s Dream, Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor play two brothers with serious financial troubles who turn to crime to solve their problem only to have their plan go horribly awry. Both the director and the star Farrell were present for the Cinema Society’s screening which was sponsored by DKNY Jeans at the Tribeca Grand Hotel as well as the after party which took place at the Soho Grand Hotel. Cinema Society founder Andrew Saffir hosted a celeb-filled line-up of Woody Allen fans including Sam Rockwell, Debbie Harry, Julian Schnabel, John Legend, Megan Mullally, Rosie Perez, Moby, Joy Behar, Tom Cavanagh, Judd Hirsch, Janine Turner, Eva Amurri, Maxwell, Carson Kressley, Zuleikha Robinson (“New Amsterdam”), Ben Shenkman, Joe Pantoliano, Milena Govich (“Law & Order”, “K-Ville”), Alex and Keytt Lundqvist, Amy Sacco, Kelly Bensimon, Irina Pantaeva, Jessica Joffe, Johannes Huebl, Serena Altschul, Ali Wise, Prince Pierre and Princess Sylvie D’Arenberg, Daniel Benedict, Allison Sarofim, Olivia Palermo, Jon and Eleanor Ylvisaker, and DKNY Jeans President Kevin Monogue.

Maxwell

Andrew Saffir and Woody Allen

Megan Mullally

John Legend

Rosie Perez

Joe Pantoliano

Jessica Joffe and Janina Joffe

Milena Govich

Olivia Palermo

Zuleikha Robinson

Colin Farrell

Andrew Saffir and Tom Cavanagh

Judd Hirsch

Moby

Sam Rockwell

Ben Shenkman

Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn

Serena Altschul, Kim Vernon, and Ali Wise

Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney

Carson Kressley

Eva Amurri

Irina Pantaeva

Janine Turner

Jill and Harry Kargman

Jon and Eleanor Ylvisaker

Miss Guy and Debbie Harry

Keytt Mitsunobi Lundqvist and Alex Lundqvist

Megan Mullally and Amy Sacco

Pierce Taylor and Mallory June

Daniel Benedict, Olivia Palermo, and Johannes Huebl

Prince Pierre D'Arenberg and Princess Sylvie D'Arenberg

Julian Schnabel

Allison Sarofim, Stuart Parr, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, and Nick Stefanov

Paula Froelich and Diane Warshay

Bonnie Morrison, Jessica Joffe, and Ali Wise

Sean Evans and Olivia Cuervo

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will host their 17th Annual Bunny Hop, on Tuesday, March 11, at FAO Schwarz. In preparation for the event The Laurel Condominium (a new Upper East Side condominium under development by Alexico Group if you were wondering), a sponsor of the Bunny Hop, hosted a cocktail kick-off event at their sales gallery on East 64th Street this past Tuesday, February 26th.

Some of the staff of The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering

Co-Chairs Christina Addison, Lisa Errico and Elizabeth Fuller joined the associates committee to toast the upcoming occasion. Guests were entertained by the “Doctors of Humorology” from the Big Apple Circus Clown Care who were on hand as a preview of what families will enjoy at the event. Next month, in addition to the clowns, Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, Corduroy, and Clifford the Big Red Dog will join them. Proceeds from the 17th Annual Bunny Hop will benefit the Department of Pediatrics. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is the world’s oldest and largest private institution dedicated to the prevention, detection, and control and cure of cancer. The Associates Committee was founded in 1984 as a part of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The committee’s purpose is to introduce a younger generation to the volunteer and philanthropic activities of The Society and to raise funds for the Center.

Anne Gray and Sara Hamblett

Bryan Carey, Catherine Carey, Maryanne Greenfield, and Wendy Arriz

Christina Addison and Claudia Overstrom with a Big Apple Circus Clown Care clown

Joanie Schumacher, Jeannie Woodbrey, Stuart Marton, and Janette James

David Pfefferman, Barbara von Borstel, Bryan Loew, and Maritza Casiano

Leslie Coleman, Elizabeth Fuller, Christina Addison, and Lisa Errico

Christine Smith, Elizabeth Fuller, and Lynn Morris with Big Apple Circus Clown Care clowns

Brian Gilmore and Caitlin Galblum

Megan Mitchell and Courtney Arnot

Michelle Marie, Jon, and Hudson Heinemann

A couple weeks ago in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra hosted a musical tribute to Leonard Bernstein.   Click image to play a video sampling of the gala evening's performance of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's Tribute to Leonard Bernstein. They celebrated the beginning of Lenny's 90th birthday by playing some of his music (and learning more about Lenny from his daughter, Jamie Bernstein) from Candide, Wonderful Town, On The Town, West Side Story, and ended with a special tribute from Tony Bennett. The evening's benefit chairs were Judith and Burton Resnick, Co-Chairs Stacey and Matthew Bronfman, the Associates Benefit Co-Chairmen, Ophira and Joram Cukierman, Rachel Posner and Michael Weinstein, and National Tour Underwriters, Diane Belfer, Helgard and Irwin Field, Rochelle and David Hirsch, Barbara and Morton Mandel, Annette and Peter O'Malley, Inga and Ira Rennert, and Marilyn Ziering.

Olivia and Jillian Merns

Julie Shapiro and Heather Reiter

Janet Shargel and Daniel Mermel

Julie Shapiro, Heather Reiter, and Jaclyn Kessler

Lisa and Richard Cohen

Joram and Ophira Cukierman, Rachel Posner, and W. Michael Weinstein

Heidi Learner and Harold Barlowe

Joram and Ophira Cukierman with Naomi Rudich

Renee Fishman, Avi Ishofsky, and Jennifer Falk

Andrew Waranch and Sarah Sperling

Rachel Posner, Rabbi Howard Goldsmith, Rabbi Jennifer Goldsmith, and Dan Greenstein

Allison Fisch with Tricia and Jason Pantzer

Marissa Beck, Jillian Merns, and Marissa Schoenfeld

Forget-me-nots: Love was in the air at the Doubles Little People’s Valentine Dance on February 14th. In a clubroom decorated with pink and red balloons, red Christmas lights and rose centerpieces, people barely recognized the place. It was a sweet afternoon of Mini Burgers, Chicken McDoubles, Heartshaped Cookies, Disco Music, Dancing and Fun. The children’s favorite activity was the face painting and by the end of the event, little Spidermen, Ninja Turtles, butterflies and fairies were as happy as could be. On the dance floor “Miss Wendy” was on hand to offer a little instruction to the diminutive dancers as they YMCA’d, Cotton Eye Joed, and Cha Cha Slided into the evening.

Kammie and Carter Lightburn

Face and hand painting begins

Wendy Carduner, Michelle Marie Heniemann, and Hudson Heniemann

Blair and Hannah Husain

Katie and Edrina Annselli

Celeste, LouLou, and Cecelia Faraut with Ruth Wollard

Kristina Stewart Ward with son and Janis and Jaqueline Cecil

Jennifer Gould Keil and Kaitlin

Pamela Gross and kids

Catherine Carey and sons

Photographs by Margot Jordan (Black Men, Inc.) Cutty McGill (Doubles); ©PatrickMcMullan.com (Cinema); Jason Group (AFIPO).

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