The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) honored actress, author and advocate Marcia Gay Harden at its Hope on the Horizon Luncheon held at The Colony in Palm Beach on March 4th.
The ADDF, which is the only charity focused solely on finding new drugs for Alzheimer’s, raised over $350,000 for life-saving research at this event. ADDF Board of Governor’s member Nancy Goodes co-chaired the event with Jan Willinger, while Thomas C. Quick, ADDF advocate, hosted the event.
ADDF Co-Chairman Leonard A. Lauder, who presented the Hope on the Horizon award to Harden, said, “Marcia and her mother are an inspiration to everyone who faces the decline of a loved one affected by Alzheimer’s. Marcia’s story reminds us that love and optimism are among our biggest assets in the fight against this devastating disease.”
Harden has raised much awareness in support of Alzheimer’s research and care. She recently wrote The Seasons of My Mother: A Memoir of Love, Family and Flowers about her relationship with her late mother and her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s.
In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Marcia said, “The ADDF, under the guidance of Co-Chairmen Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder, inspires hope around this tragic disease, Alzheimer’s. This beautiful luncheon serves to inform and empower women — the demographic who are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s — and empower caregivers, who do the lion’s share of care, love, and nurturing for those battling Alzheimer’s. Much-needed money is put behind drug research for brain diseases, and at the end of the day, this group of Palm Beach supporters will stand proud in knowing they had an important hand in the cure for Alzheimer’s.”
The luncheon also featured an informative discussion with expert panelists Dr. Howard Fillit, ADDF’s founding executive director and chief science officer, and Dr. Michela Gallagher, Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and heads the Neurogenetics and Behavior Center at Johns Hopkins University, and the founder and CEO of AgeneBio. They discussed promising research and novel treatments now in development, including Dr. Gallagher’s phase 3 trial evaluating AGB-101 as a potential medication to treat amnestic mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. There is currently no FDA-approved therapy for patients in this pre-dementia stage of Alzheimer’s disease, representing an enormous unmet clinical need.
Guests enjoyed a live auction conducted by Tom Quick, which included a pair of Lorenz Bäumer earrings and a yacht cruise from Fleet Miami.
Every dollar raised at the Hope on the Horizon Palm Beach Luncheon supports drug research programs for Alzheimer’s. Among those in attendance were Elena Brim, Hilary Dick, Ginger Feuer, Lori Gendelman, Ambassador Mark Gilbert and Nancy Gilbert, Sale Johnson, Chris and Vicki Kellogg, Paulette Koch, Karen Klopp, Judy Glickman Lauder, Heidi McWilliams, Mary Alice Pappas, Bobba I. Paul, Elaine and Christopher Plummer, Cobey Rapaport, Jane Scheinfeld, Judy Snyder, Janice Worth, and ADDF Board members Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Mitch Eichen, Stephanie Ginsberg, Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, Elise Lefkowitz, Thomas F. McWilliams, Julie Medler, Sharon Sager, Tom Scanlan and Wendy Wilshin.
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded over $115 million to fund more than 590 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs and clinical trials in 18 countries. And 100% of every donation funds drug research programs. To learn more, visit http://www.alzdiscovery.org.
On Thursday February 28, philanthropist Audrey Gruss hosted a lunch for her friends to introduce Guy Bedarida, the new co-owner and creative director of Marina B jewelry and announce an upcoming jewelry exhibition and retail events at Betteridge.
The lunch was held at Audrey’s beautiful Palm Beach ocean-to-lake Italian Renaissance home, where Marina B jewelry was displayed under crystal bell jars surrounded by a variety of blue flowers, Marina B’s brand color.
Audrey introduced Guy, explaining that he had flown from Qatar via Paris and New York. Guy is reviving and relaunching the Italian jewelry brand, which created some of the most iconic jewelry in the 1980’s and will visit Marina B in Monaco in the next few weeks to mark her 90th birthday.
Guests enjoyed a lunch of spring pea soup, followed by chicken roulade stuffed with spinach and ricotta with julienne of green and yellow zucchini and carrots. Dessert was poached pear stuffed with mascarpone cream on a bed of hot chocolate and toasted almonds.
Guests included Mashi Azmudeh, Luce Churchill, Jackie Drake, Sarah Gavlak, Candy Hamm, Mai Harrison,Inez Heery, Susan Meyer, Carole Moran, Gail Nessel, Leezy Sculley, Vera Serrano, Lis Waterman, Clelia Zacharias, and Lionel Geneste, the international marketing consultant brought in by Guy Bedrida to help him revive and relaunch the brand.
Audrey Gruss founded HDRF in April 2006 in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with clinical depression. Today, HDRF is the leading nonprofit organization focused solely on depression research. Over 350 million people annually struggle with depression globally, but despite its prevalence, depression is still misunderstood, underfunded and under-researched. The mission of the HDRF is to fund cutting-edge neuroscience research into the origins, medical diagnosis, new treatments, and prevention of depression and its related mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and suicide. To date, HDRF has provided more than $30-million through over 125 grants for accelerated breakthrough depression research that promises to lead to new and better medications and treatments.
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) hosted its annual “HSS In Florida” panel event on Monday, February 25, 2019. The program, followed by a cocktail reception, took place at The Breakers with over 500 guests. Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS, and Todd J. Albert, MD, surgeon-in-chief at HSS, welcomed guests and provided introductory remarks. This year’s panel speakers included: David W. Altchek, MD, Co-Chief Emeritus of HSS Sports Medicine; Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., MD, Chief Emeritus of HSS Spine; Michelle G. Carlson, MD, Hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS; Peter J. Moley, MD, Physiatrist at HSS; and George A. Paletta, Jr., MD, MBA, Medical Director of HSS Florida. Following the speakers, there was a Q&A session moderated by Paul Pellicci, MD, Chief Emeritus of Hip Service at HSS.
