On Monday, October 3rd, The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering hosted its first-ever Fall Lunch. Generously sponsored by Prada, this event was co-chaired by Maria von Bothmer, Courtney Corleto, Mimi Ritzen Crawford, Carolina de Neufville, Erin O’Connor, and Starrett Ringbom. Proceeds from Society of MSK’s Fall Lunch raised critical funds to support The MSK Cancer Health Equity Research and Care Initiative, which seeks to bring equity to all people affected by cancer by addressing healthcare disparities that affect underserved communities.
More than 300 of The Society of MSK’s most high-profile supporters joined The Society of MSK’s President, Muffie Potter Aston and Gillian Hearst, Associates Committee Chair for a seated lunch at The Mandarin Oriental, transformed by Ron Wendt. Deborah Roberts, ABC News Senior National Affairs Correspondent, took the stage to interview Dr. Carol L. Brown, MSK’s Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, and the Nicholls-Biondi Chair for Health Equity at MSK. The conversation with Dr. Brown drew on her clinical expertise as a gynecologic cancer surgeon, and addressed critical issues relating to women’s cancers and health equity.
“With the support of generous donors today, our Cancer Health Equity Research and Care Initiative will continue to ensure equitable access to life-saving clinical trials and support ground-breaking research to end cancer disparities experienced by medically underserved and diverse populations in our community,” said Dr. Carol L. Brown.
Attendees included: Amanda Waldron, Betsy Pitts, Marcella Hymowitz, Travis Acquavella, Veronica Swanson Beard, Patricia, Herrera Lansing, Eleanor Dejoux, Shabnam Henry , Dara O’Hara, Marcelo Noschese, Eve Lehrman, Emilia Fanjul, Lisa Errico, Austen Cruz, Amory McAndrew, Abigail Baratta, Beth Blake Day, Alexia Leuschen, Jenny Paulson, Caryn Zucker, Joanna de Neufville , Sara Gilbane Sullivan , Annie Taube, Betsy Pepe, Kate Allen, Elissa Brenner, Valerie Aston, Sarah Saint-Amand, Sana Clegg, Jenny Galluzzo, Lisa Blau, Beth Kojima, Marcie Pantzer, Christin Rueger, Anjali Melwani, Mary Carlisle Gambill , Heather McAuliffe, Virginia W. Tomenson, Melissa Crandall, Leslie Heaney, Ferebee Taube , Kathy Thomas, Melanie Charlton Fowler, Mary Katherine Navab, Claudia Overstrom, Nathalie Pierrepont Danilovich, Elizabeth Kennedy, Lisa Eastman, Alexandra Lind Rose, Vanessa Eastman, Diem Le, Kayla Abjuga, Nikolas Pankau-Sirixay, Kathleen Box, Giulia Dal Toso, Veronica Lorya, Valerie Ohrstrom, Helene Comfort , Katherine Birch, Marisa Rose van Bokhorst, Cena Jackson.
Rising Ground – one of New York’s leading nonprofit human services organizations – held its 2022 Fall Benefit at the storied Bowery Hotel in the East Village on September 14, 2022. Close to 100 people attended, celebrating Rising Ground’s transformative work, including representatives from the evening’s major sponsors: Mohawk Insurance, Mutual of America, USI Insurance Service, and ChemRx/Pharmerica.
The lively event took place at the hotel’s Bowery Terrace with its amazing views of the New York City skyline, and featured signature cocktails, a silent auction, abundant hors d’oeuvres, and great jazz by the Greg Ruvolo Quintet.
Proceeds will go directly towards programming to help support Rising Ground’s early childhood programs, foster care, adoption, healthcare, mental health, juvenile justice, and programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“It is always wonderful when we can celebrate the transformative work we do which helps New York City’s children, adults, and families overcome adversity and embrace positive change,” said Alan Mucatel, CEO of Rising Ground. “We are deeply appreciative of the generous support we’ve received for this event. We rely on donors like you to help us create programs that have a lasting impact on the lives of New Yorkers who face a wide range of challenges.”
Rising Ground currently operates more than 50 programs at sites across all New York City boroughs and Westchester County, employing a workforce of nearly 1,600 people. Daily, it provides children, adults, and families with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and positively direct their lives. Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of supporting evolving community needs and has become a leader in utilizing result-driven, evidence-based practices.
Today, its work is a positive force in the lives of more than 25,000 children, adults, and family members. Rising Ground won the prestigious New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Gold Award in 2014. It was founded 191 years ago as the Leake & Watts Orphan House. For more information, visit RisingGround.org.
The historic Explorers Club was the setting for Lighthouse Guild’s “An Evening of Discovery” cocktail party. 135 guests enjoyed the unique ambiance of the old mansion and its beautiful terrace.
The program began with longtime Lighthouse Guild supporter Marc Rosen, who welcomed everyone and reflected upon the parallel between the mantra of discovery and exploration of the Explorer Club members and Lighthouse Guild’s innovative technology initiatives, including the state-of-the-art Tech Center. Mark announced the date of February 27 for their annual Palm Beach dinner dance and introduced the honorees; Jackie Weld Drake and James Borynack, Chairman of the Findlay Galleries.
James Dubin, Lighthouse Guild Board Chairman, and CEO and President Dr. Calvin Roberts expanded on how cutting-edge technology and Lighthouse Guild’s expert training ensure individuals who are blind or visually impaired can live independently and productively.
Guests were able to meet Lighthouse Guild Tech Ambassadors to see first-hand how technology is changing lives.
Dr. Andrea Lendaris, Lighthouse Guild client and new advisory board member, motivated the crowd with her compelling story of her experience with vision loss, and the challenges she overcame on the path of her impressive career.
The event and auction raised over $$200,000 in support of Lighthouse Guild’s programs. Guests included Susan Gutfreund, Tom Quick and Michael Donnell, Denise and Bernard Schwartz, Heidi Holterbosch and Tom Gimbel, Robert de Rothschild and Annemarie Iverson, Ann Dexter-Jones, Vanessa Noel, Beth Rudin deWoody, Barbara Tober, Carole and Philippe Delouvrier, Ruth Woolard, Anita Volz Wien, Adolfo Zaralegui and Jimmy Borynack, Jackie Weld Drake, along with Lighthouse Guild board members Marios Damianides, Dr. Christopher Starr, Ann Thivierge, Thomas Gimbel, Eric Madenberg, Andrew Marks, and Ronald Weiner.
One last summer memory. The Prostate Cancer Foundation held its 22nd Annual Gala in the Hamptons at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY. The summer benefit supported the Annual PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament and celebrated the millions raised and achievements made in the past 29 years through PCF. Founder Michael Milken and The Gala in the Hamptons weekend hosts and sponsors welcomed guests to enjoy, engage and be entertained while helping to fund groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.
The gala began with a lively cocktail reception as distinguished guests and athletes entered the breathtaking Parrish Art Museum terrace – which is celebrating its 10th year at its new location. Total Sponsorships and ticket sales were valued at $1.3 million. In addition to this, the live auction was swift, raising more than $6.5 million for the Foundation’s work of which the auction lots included a 4-day Home Run Challenge MLB package, 2 VIP access packages to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and closing out the night with the auction of a 2023 Fisker Ocean 1 SUV – not yet available to the public and one of only 5,000 to be produced globally. As the Owner of the Fisker Company described their extraordinary new vehicle, “All of our products must have four things that are either original – or better than anyone else in the marketplace.”
The lavish dinner party gave way to special musical performances from multi-award-winning musicians Daryl Hall & John Oates and ABBA – The Concert. This celebration set the tone for the weekend leading up to the finals of the PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament.
Along with the activities associated with the PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament, guests were treated to by-invitation-only Milken Institute Hamptons Dialogues that covered a range of current topics of interest in private homes throughout the Hamptons. The tennis tournament began on Saturday at private courts and concluded with the finals on the Sunday afternoon at the Shinnecock Tennis Club.
Notable Attendees included: Michael Milken, Deepak Chopra, Alex Rodriguez, Oliver Stone, Candace Bushnell, Katie Couric, John Paulson, Rob & Cindy Citrone, David Rubenstein, and Kayrn Zucker.
This year’s participating tennis professionals included David Adams, Harrison Adams, Alex Bogomolov, Guillermo Canas, Adriano Biasella, Amer Delic, Jason Pinsky, Santiago Gonzalez, Treat Huey, JC Aragone, Don Johnson, Heinz Haas, Rick Leach, Scott Lipsky, John Lloyd, Ashley Fisher, Daniel Nestor, Robbie Koenig, Matwe Middelkoop, Jared Palmer, Cyril Saulnier and Max Schnur.
Proceeds from the weekend will support the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s funding of the world’s most promising cancer research, including PCF’s Young Investigator program which has transformed how medical research is conducted over the past three decades. Discoveries by hundreds of PCF investigators at more than 220 institutions have driven breakthrough treatments in prostate and more than 70 other cancers.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation, founded in 1993, is dedicated to discovering groundbreaking cancer research programs thanks to the steadfast commitment from the organization’s members, research scientists and supporters.
Photographs by Madison Voelkel/BFA.com (MSK); Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com (Lighthouse); Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com (Prostate Cancer); Ben Asen (Rising Ground).
