Getting cooler now, day by day, and the social events are all as serious as the weather. Starting with the Salzburg Festival Society’s black tie summer gala which had lots of New Yorkers lining up to support the wonderful experience of Salzburg. Then there’s the Explorer’s Club, which was the scene of Lighthouse Guild’s “An Evening of Discovery” with more New Yorkers championing the cause. Then, this past week during the meeting of the minds for the UN’s annual general assembly, major Women’s Rights advocate and former First Lady Cherie Blair headlined a special evening. And yes, we know summer is a distant memory, but we didn’t want to forget one of summer’s biggest draws, the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s 23rd Annual Gala in Water Mill benefiting The Prostate Cancer Foundation with founder/legend Michael Milken. Here goes …
On August 15th, Salzburg Festival Society held its black tie Summer Gala, one of many events hosted by the Society. Sana H. Sabbagh served as the chair of the gala, which was held in the historic 18th century Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria (hint: think “The Sound of Music”)
“It is the mission and the pleasure of the Salzburg Festival Society to bring American friends and patrons to the Festival in Salzburg, Austria, for magnificent music and the pleasure of this special place,” said John French III. “As chairman, I speak for our full board, including our president, Nabil Chartouni, who is also here tonight, how we are most grateful to Sana Sabbagh for supporting and chairing this evening. All of us have reveled in the performances, the new experiences, and the presentations by the finest musicians and singers.”
Introducing the evening, Sabbagh offered these words: “Music knows no boundaries. It is a truly universal language. The Love of Music transcends personal convictions and spiritual beliefs.”
Among the guests were Salzburg Festival Society board members Noreen Buckfire, Lauren Carpenter, Isabelle Harnoncourt-Feigen, Marifé Hernández, Bruce Horten, Alexandra Kauka Hamill, Horacio Milberg-Uribelarrea, Elisabeth Muhr, Isabella Ponta-Ebm, Heinrich Spängler and the President of the Salzburg Festival Dr. Kristina Hammer. Other guests included Joel Bell, Carole Bailey French, Richard Gaddes, Bianca Jagger, Lola Koch, John Olsen, Jay Nordlinger, Princess Caroline Murat, Daisy Soros, Barbara Tober, Theodora and Albert Simons with their daughter, Theodora Jr., and Thaddaeus Ropac.
The gala included performances by soprano Elena Stikhina and tenor Bogdan Volkov. It was one of many magical nights in this year’s Salzburg Festival.
The Society’s New York Gala takes place on October 17th. For more information see: www.sfsociety.org
The historic Explorers Club provided an enchanting backdrop for Lighthouse Guild’s “An Evening of Discovery” cocktail party, where 150 guests savored the unique ambiance of this venerable mansion and its picturesque terrace.
The generous sponsors who helped make “An Evening of Discovery” possible included Ann Thivierge and Richard Durkin, Visionary Sponsors Iveric Bio (an Astellas Company), Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and Proskauer Rose LLP, as well as Explorer Sponsors J.P. Morgan, Mimi Saltzman Foundation, and Barbara Tober.
Kicking off the program was 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 initiatives, including the state-of-the-art Tech Center. Marc announced the date of February 26 for their annual Palm Beach dinner dance and introduced the honorees: Beth Rudin DeWoody and Firooz Zahedi and Maestro Gerard Schwarz.
Lighthouse Guild Board Chairman James Dubin and President and CEO Dr. Calvin Roberts expanded on how advanced technology and Lighthouse Guild’s expert training help individuals who are blind or visually impaired live the lives they aspire to.
Guests saw first-hand samples of accessible technology helping people with vision loss navigate their world through Lighthouse Guild’s Innovation Stations.
Kiana Glanton, Lighthouse Guild client, and intern, captivated the crowd with her compelling story of her experience with vision loss as a professional, a mother, and now a Blind Baseball player who helped Team USA win a bronze medal at the WBSC Blind Baseball International Cup.
The event and auction raised over $350,000 in support of Lighthouse Guild’s programs.
Guests included Susan Gutfreund, Beth Rudin DeWoody, James Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui, Dudley Stevens, Will Roseman, Saundra Whitney, Margo Langenberg, Jeanne Lawrence, Maria Cristina Anzola, Mai Hallingby, Victoria Wyman, Andrea Utecht and her son Christopher, Mimi Saltzman, Edward Kornreich, Connie and Randy Jones, Heidi Holterbosch and Tom Gimbel, Jackie Weld Drake and Billy Beadleston, Pamela Fiori, Vanessa Noel, Paul and Christabel Vartanian, Roberta Houghton along with Lighthouse Guild board members Barry Honig, Shelley Brier, Pauline Raiff, Dr. Christopher Starr, and Ronald Weiner.
More from the big city. On September 17th, during the 78th session of the UN general assembly in NYC, Meera Gandhi, author of 3 Tips: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success and Founder of The Giving Back Foundation, hosted a lavish cocktail event, bringing luminaries from around the world together. The evening celebrated human rights advocate and former First Lady Cherie Blair for her tremendous work through the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
Esteemed guests included Tony Blair, Marjorie Margolies, Linda Rama, Swati and Bharat Bhise, John Catsimatidis, Andrea Catsimatidis, Margo Catsimatidis, David Hrysk, Shiv Khemka, Fred Karger, Rainer Wolfs, Nabila Khasshogi and Erik Botcher.
The heart of the evening was Cherie Blair’s poignant speech. She walked the audience through her extensive journey as a formidable barrister, lecturer, writer, and an unyielding advocate for women’s rights and global justice. Her words resonated deeply, leaving attendees inspired and ignited with a renewed sense of purpose.
Reflecting on the grandeur and significance of the evening, Meera Gandhi remarked, “Cherie Blair stands as a beacon of hope and transformation in our world. Her legacy of dedication and action speaks volumes, and I felt compelled to honor her, especially during a week that celebrates global unity and humanitarian efforts. This evening was more than a tribute; it was a clarion call to all of us to step up and make a difference.”
The event, interspersed with moments of reflection and celebration, saw a diverse crowd. International dignitaries, thought leaders, influencers, and change-makers came together, united by a common thread — the commitment to driving meaningful global change.
Summer days gone by. The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) held its 23rd 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 30 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 Parrish Art Museum terrace. Total Sponsorships and ticket sales were valued at $1.25 million. In addition to this, the live auction was swift, raising more than $5.6 million for the Foundation’s work.
The lavish dinner party gave way to special musical performances from multi-award-winning Adam Lambert. 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 Sunday afternoon at the Raquet Lounge at Southampton.
Notable Attendees included: Wilbur Ross (Former US Secretary of Commerce), Hilary Geary Ross, John Paulson, Alina De Almeida, Igor Tulchinsky, Stephen Ross, Lin Connelly, Steven Mnuchin (Former US Secretary of the Treasury), Jim Coleman, Nouriel Roubini, Simone Friedman, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Larry Leeds, Ginger Leeds, Candace Bushnell, Avery Price, Jessica Price, Zenobia Godschalk, Mackenzie Price, Cindy Jensen, Samia Morgan, Emily Church, Dr. Charles Ryan, Gina Carithers, Dr. Scott Tagawa, Jeff Greene, Mei Sze Greene, David Paterson (Former NY Governor), Mary Paterson.
This year’s participating tennis professionals included Tommy Haas, John Lloyd, Daniel Nestor, Cyril Saulnier, Ashley Fisher, Sander Gille, Scott Lipsky, Amer Delic, Jason Pinsky, Jared Palmer, Treat Huey, JC Argone, Don Johnson, Guillermo Canas, Max Schnur, Alex Bogomolov, Wayne Odesnik, Rick Leach, Robert Kendrick and Joran Vliegen.
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 (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to the research and eradication of prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men. PCF is committed to investing in the most promising research on prevention, detection, and treatment and to bring innovative solutions to market quickly — with the goal of improving the lives of patients and their families. Its vision is to end all deaths from prostate cancer by raising awareness and funding urgent, cutting-edge research. PCF’s unique research model for prostate cancer already has overlap in 70 other cancers and is playing a role in helping unlock the mystery of curing all cancer.
