The Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic Winter Benefit took place on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at a private New York City club. Sarah Jane Gibbons, Chair of the Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic, welcomed guests who enjoyed a chamber music performance by two musicians from the New York Philharmonic: violinist Anna Rabinova and bassist Satoshi Okamoto. The performance was followed by a seated dinner and dancing. Proceeds from the event help support the Philharmonic’s education and public programs. Benefit Committee Co-Chairs were Sarah Jane and Trevor Gibbons, Justin R. Kush, Stefan Nowicki, and Spencer L. Reames.




















On Tuesday, December 3rd, ADAPT held its 9th Annual Santa Project Party Casino Night benefiting ADAPT Community Network’s preschool education programs throughout New York City. ADAPT Community Network is the largest provider of preschool education for children with disabilities in New York. The annual event, which attracts VIP guests from fashion, film, and television, raised over $104,000.
Television and film star Jill Flint, a longtime supporter of ADAPT Community Network, hosted the event. VIPs in attendance included Edward R. Matthews, CEO, ADAPT Community Network. Celebrity Ambassadors for the event were: Tamsen Fadal, Mike Woods, Steve Lacy, Teresa Priolo, Ines Rosales, Kori Chambers, Mr. G, Camilla Barungi, and Javier Gomez.

The 2019 Santa Project Casino Night Committee members were: Kate Cleary, Christie Foster, Patrick Hazlewood, Rachel Hendrickson, Dianna Jane, Louisa Laverde, Patrick Matthews, Shannon McPhee, Priya Mohabir, Maria Patruno, and Mike Silvestro.
ADAPTS’s programs are supported by generous annual sponsors including Pilot RB, Alliance Brokerage, Colliers International, Bella Bus, Home Clean Home, PC Connection, Precision Pharmacy, Putney Twombly, Signature Construction, TGI, Weeks Lerman, The Weiss Group, Brothers Contracting, Execu|Search, GNET Construction, MediSked, Stop Pest of NYC, United Health Care/ Oxford ,WPIX, and event sponsors The Abelson Company, Horizon Healthcare Staffing, Multilingual Therapy Associates, CCS Fundraising, and Alan Zack.


ADAPT Community Network is the leading human service not-for-profit and a pioneer in providing cutting-edge programs and services for people with disabilities. Every day, we build a more inclusive world for thousands of New Yorkers through education, technology, health, residential, and recreational programs in all five boroughs. Our schools and services encompass many people who have challenges beyond cerebral palsy such as autism, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and neuromuscular disorders, among others. We are the largest provider of pre-school education for children with disabilities in New York. ADAPT’s 100 comprehensive programs serve over 20,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families.
For more information or to donate to ADAPT Community Network go to: www.adaptcommunitynetwork.org.














Last week, Jacqueline Weld Drake welcomed the student choir of the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education for holiday carols to her Park Avenue residence. Choir Director Rich Anderson led the students, ages 8-10, through “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and more. Said Mrs. Weld, “If this doesn’t melt your heart, you’re heartless. The children are wonderful and so is Casita.” Waiting under her Christmas tree were gifts for them all. Donors and friends applauded the performers.
Mrs. Drake also awarded two Casita students, Elizabeth Campos and Maximus Maldonado, with the William E. Simon Scholarship. Established in 1985 by William E. Simon, the scholarship fund is given to South Bronx children attending Roman Catholic High Schools in excellent academic standing.
With their parents looking on, Haydee Morales, Executive Director of Casita Maria, said, “We are so proud of the achievements of our students at Casita Maria. These scholarships are well deserved.” Mrs. Weld added, “We wish you every success in your studies, your lives, and all your pursuits,” adding, “Now, it’s party time!”
Mrs. Drake, the longtime chairman of Casita Maria, was joined by board members John L. Bernbach, Martha Bograd, Michèle Gerber Klein, Alberto Mariaca, Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, and Michael L. Ziegler as well as friends including George Corton, Sissi Fleitas and Refaie Moataz, Kareem Gahed, Elizabeth Jacoby, Karen Klopp, Mercedes Levin, Alicia Lubowski-Jahn, Alice Lutz, Juan Montoya and Urban Karlsson, Jean Shafiroff, Mary Snow, Elise Thoron, and Sabrina Wirth.
Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, the oldest Latin charity in New York City, provides high-quality arts education to over 1,000 students each day. Located in the country’s poorest zip code, the South Bronx, Casita Maria creates a safe, welcoming community, enriching and uplifting youth and families, producing well-rounded individuals who go on to fulfill their dreams.











Photographs by Jemal Countess/Getty (ADAPT); Annie Watt (Casita).