Last Thursday night, Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), the leading nonprofit dedicated to conquering Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, held the GLA GLOBAL GALA 2022 at Cipriani 42nd Street. The event raises Lyme disease awareness and funds for research to improve diagnostics and treatments and ultimately find a cure for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. The spectacular and one-of-a-kind gala was a night to remember for invited celebrities, business leaders, and top scientists alike.
The evening’s honored guests included Kim and Atty Cleworth, A mother and daughter who have been impacted by Lyme. They are also Executive Producers of the film, I’m Not Crazy I’m Sick. An exclusive preview was shown to the audience of the documentary about their struggle.
A highlight of New York’s philanthropic calendar, this year’s event raised more than $1.85 million to advance GLA’s mission to conquer Lyme. A live auction led by Jason Lamoreaux auctioned items including a trilogy of sports events, travel experiences and a golf weekend with professional Jimmy Walker for which bidding was keen. The GLA has gained national prominence for funding the most promising research in the field.
The evening program began with cocktails and dinner, a video contribution by Debbie Gibson, and speech by Broadway Star Ashley Loren, on the impact that Lyme disease has had on their lives. The event was hosted by master of ceremonies Rosanna Scotto, Co-Host of FOX 5 “Good Day New York.” The evening also featured an exceptional live performance by Recording Artist Pia Toscano and later in the night, Erich Bergen, star of Madam Secretary and both the stage and screen versions of Jersey Boys.
Celebrated event planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events produced the gala experience by donating his designs and décor to the virtuous cause for the fourth year in a row, showcasing his long-standing dedication to the Lyme community.
Notable Attendees included: Kim Cleworth and Atty Cleworth (Honorees), Rosanna Scotto (Master of Ceremonies), Erich Bergen (Entertainment), Pia Toscano (Recording Artist), Larry Scott (Lawrence Scott Events), Ashley Loren (Broadway Star), Chris Meloni (Actor), Kelley Flanagan and Peter Weber (TV’s The Bachelor), Margaret Josephs and Joe Benigno (Real Housewives of New Jersey (RHONJ)), Dolores Catania (Real Housewives of New Jersey), Jennifer Fessler, Nicole Miller (Fashion Designer), Lindsay Solmer (Influencer), Alexa Laura (Influencer), Gina Valles (Influencer), Mar Jennings (TV Show Host), and Jon James Stavola (Artist).
The Co-Chairs for the event include Rose Anastasio, Amy Balducci, Charles Balducci, Diane M. Blanchard, Robert Kobre, Brett Kristoff, Jarrod Nadel, Lorrie Nadel, Paul B. Ross, Larry Scott, Erin Walker and Jimmy Walker.
To learn more about GLA’s unrivaled focus on the science of Lyme, visit their website at www.GLA.org.
Last Wednesday morning, The Stephen & Christine Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) celebrated the reopening of its Radiation Oncology facility at an intimate ribbon cutting on October 12th with notables including Stephen and Christine Schwarzman, Elaine Langone, Donna Acquavella, Lisa Schiff, and Robert Liberman.
The advanced veterinary center features the Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator, the only one of its kind in veterinary medicine. This technology allows AMC oncologists to treat cancer in a diverse range of veterinary patients with simple to complex needs and provide advanced treatments for even the smallest targets.
“At the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, each day brings another breakthrough, new discoveries, and new ways to heal. Nowhere is our commitment to innovation more apparent than in our ability to treat cancer,” said Kathryn Coyne, President and Chief Executive Officer at Schwarzman AMC. “Today, we are using next-generation, human-quality radiation therapy to provide hope and second chances for pets, and as a result, more kinds of cancers are being successfully treated than ever before. I am proud to offer the absolute best care to our cancer patients and this is just one of many exciting steps as we work to build a hospital to serve pets and families for years to come.”
A key milestone in a $100 million hospital-wide expansion and renovation, the ribbon cutting was celebrated along with the topping out of the hospital as the final steel beam was put into place. The project is scheduled for completion in 2024 and will include over 37,000 square feet of new and renovated space.
A few weeks prior, more than 400 young professionals gathered at Museum of the City of New York for the inaugural Director’s Circle event. Leading up to the Centennial, this new committee of young patrons, ages 35 and under, aims to provide a platform for the next generation of leadership at the Museum.
Hosted by Leadership Co- Chairs Bo Curry, Victoria M. Herman, and James Karr with Leadership committee members including Adele Bernhard; Farran Brown; Kassie Coley; Jared Cordover; Kayli Cutler; Noah Gilstrap; Bunny Laughlin; Alexa Prounis; Rob Rappleye; John Rose; Tijana Suvacarov; Caela McCann Tosi; Justin Tosi; Lucia Johnson; and Shelby White, the September 30th event drew attendees from the city’s Real Estate, Finance, Tech, Hospitality and Creative industries.
Guests sipped on signature NYC-themed cocktails, danced to tunes spun by DJ Flo, mingled under the Museum’s stunning LED hanging sculpture, Starlight, and wandered throughout the exhibitions including the recently opened Food In New York and the ongoing shows, New York At Its Core and Activist New York.
Late last month, Children’s Hope India Gala held their annual gala at Chelsea Piers packed with 1000 glitterati guests kicking off UN week in NY. The Giving Back Foundation sponsored the Rising Star Award, which was presented to Himanshu Gulati by Meera Gandhi, CEO, and founder of The Giving Back Foundation.
Himanshu, a young tech billionaire, came to the US with a dream and succeeded. He has pledged to donate to Children’s Hope India for the next decade to further the cause of educating street children. Hollywood director M. Night Shyamalan and his wife Bhavna and Sunil Wadhwani were present to support the evening. The Giving Back Foundation’s first pillar is promoting education around the world so it was a perfect synergy and an amazing evening.
And finally down at the National Arts Club, The New England Society Book Awards carried on its annual tradition of recognizing books and authors that honor New England culture. The New England Society Book Awards are presented annually to the authors of books published the previous year in the categories of Fiction, Non-fiction, Art and Photography and Specialty Titles.
This year’s winners included: Dead by Dawn by Paul Doiron, The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir by Sherry Turkle, The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped The Country, Formed the Navy and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K. O’Donnell, Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950’s New York by Alexander Nemerov and WBCN and The American Revolution by Bill Lichtenstein.
The evening was a glorious salon-style event with the presence of all five of the winning authors and an enthusiastic audience which allowed for vigorous and rewarding conversations among writers and readers. Attendees included New England Society members and friends who were interested in the subject matter and had participated in the awards by volunteering as readers and jury leads.
NES Member Ireen Kudra-Miller generously sponsored the event at the National Arts Club, which was the perfect setting to honor our distinguished award-winning authors.
Photographs by Jared Siskin/PMC & Rob Berry/BFA (GLA); Jason Hall (MCNY); Jill Nelson/AnnieWatt.com (Children’s Hope); John Sanderson/AnnieWatt.com (New England Society)
