Timeless classics

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School of American Ballet students and cast members waving goodbye to party guests at The Nutcracker Family Benefit.

The Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Mount Sinai Health System held its eighth annual benefit on Monday, December 10, 2018, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan.

The evening honored sisters, Melissa Spohler and Meredith Shepherd, their mother Priscilla Alexander, and Amy Tiersten, MD, Clinical Director of Breast Medical Oncology at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, founder of the Center and a Mount Sinai Trustee, and Elisa Port, MD, FACS, the Center’s Director, presented the awards to Mrs. Spohler, Mrs. Shepherd and Mrs. Alexander for their advocacy for breast cancer patients and to Dr. Tiersten for her commitment to breast cancer research at Mount Sinai.


Director of the Dubin Breast Center, Elisa Port, MD; Founder of the Dubin Breast Center and Mount Sinai Health System Trustee Eva Anderson-Dubin, MD; and Physician Honoree Amy Tiersten, MD

With 520 guests in attendance, the event raised $2.6 million to benefit the Dubin Breast Center, part of The Tisch Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer program. Among those who attended were Tim and Michelle Barakett, Jon and Sharon Corzine, Kenny and Shoshana Dichter, Beth Dozoretz, Lisa Evans, Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox, Joe Fernandez and Tony Godsick, Amy and John Griffin, Sonia and Paul Tudor Jones, Chris and Richard Mack, Mike and Suzey Novogratz, Bob Pittman, Mark and Jill Rachesky, Carole Radziwill, Steve and Maureen Rattner, Daryl and Steven Roth, Perri and Eric Ruttenberg, John Sykes, James and Merryl Tisch and Nina and Gary Wexler. This year’s slate of performers included Peter Cincotti, Penelope Edmonds, Caroline Jones, Chloe Kohanski, Marc Scibilia, and three performers from Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, LaChanze, Ariana DeBose, and Storm Lever.


Emcee Perri Peltz
Performer Peter Cincotti
Performers LaChanze, Ariana DeBose, and Storm Lever
L to R.: Performer Caroline Jones; Performer Marc Scibilia
Performer Chloe Kohanski

The Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute offers the latest, most innovative approaches available for breast health and the treatment of cancer under one roof. The 15,000-square-foot facility is located on the campus of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and houses a range of services from prevention to survivorship.

The Dubin Breast Center represents Mount Sinai’s bold new vision for patient-centered breast cancer treatment and research—one that focuses on the emotional as well as the physical health and wellness of people who have, or may be at risk for, cancer. Patients receive personalized, comprehensive, and integrative care in a welcoming, private, and reassuring setting. The Dubin Breast Center’s extraordinary physicians and scientists actively collaborate, enabling our clinical teams to apply leading-edge knowledge and the newest, most sophisticated techniques and technologies.


Honorees Meredith Shepherd, Priscilla Alexander, and Melissa Spohler
Michael Brodman, MD, Elisa Port, MD, and David L. Reich, MD
L to R.: Kathleen Giordano and Diane Gilman; Mike and Sukey Novogratz
Mount Sinai Health System Trustee Jim Tisch, Jon Corzine, Mike Novogratz, and Thomas H. Lee
Steven Rattner, Glenn Dubin, and friend
L to R.: Amy Griffin and Mary Jo Fernandez; Dr. Naznin Khimji and Mahmood Khimji
Mark Rachesky, Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, and Thomas H. Lee
Lise Evans, Amy Griffin, Eva Dubin, and Christine Mack
Nina Wexler and Renee Barasch
Daniel and Jane Och
Chloe Harrouche, Isaac Harrouche, Catherine Moussazadeh, and David Moussazadeh
Sonia Jones, Paul Tudor Jones, and Caroline Jones
Gary Wexler, Lois Robbins, Nina Wexler, and Andrew Zaro


On Saturday, December 8, 2018 New York City Ballet and The School of American Ballet joined forces, once again, for The Nutcracker Family Benefit – one of New York’s favorite holiday events for families. Anne J. Citrin, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Alyssa Tablada, and Tanya Rivero Warren served as the Event Chairs.

The benefit began with a performance of the timeless classic, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™, followed by a holiday party on the Theater’s Promenade where the Sugarplum Fairy and characters from the production signed autographs and mingled with guests.


2018 Nutcracker Family Benefit Chairs Tanya Rivero Warren, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Anne J. Citrin, and Alyssa Tablada

More than 650 guests attended including Sienna Miller, Zanna Roberts Rassi and Mazdack Rassi, Emma Willis, Ron and Cynthia Beck, Daniel Brodsky, Monique Cunningham, and Agnes Gund amomng others. The event, which raised $792,000, is a critical source of support for New York City Ballet and its Education and Outreach Programs as well at The School of American Ballet’s Scholarship Fund.


Laura Fulmer, Sienna Miller, and Erin Crandall Phillips
Monique Cunningham and her family
L to R.: NYCB Principal Dancer Ashley Bouder with her daughter; Pamela Tick and Colleen Crivello with Event Chair Rebecca Hessel Cohen
NYCB Interim Artistic Team Leader Jonathan Stafford with Mazdack Rassi
NYCB Board of Directors President Ronald Beck with NYCB Executive Director Katherine Brown and Scott Brakebill
Matina Simegiatos Sporek with her son, School of American Ballet student and cast member Athan Sporek
NYCB Soloist Lauren King with party guest
Corps de Ballet dancer Sarah Villwock signs autographs for party guest
Students from School of American Ballet sign autographs for party guests

Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) honored Wells Fargo on December 3 with its Spirit of the Founders award at its gala at The Plaza. In addition to funds raised for the dinner, during the ceremony, the bank also announced a $100,000 Foundation grant.

Each year VOA-GNY’s Spirit of the Founders award is presented to a person or company that leads the way in community involvement and contributes to VOA’s life-changing, often life-saving work, to care for the homeless, families affected by domestic violence, children with special needs, at-risk youth, adults living with HIV/AIDS, behavioral health or substance use issues, veterans and older adults. VOA-GNY has been at the forefront of social services for more than 120 years, helping individuals and families in need overcome obstacles to living safe, healthy and productive lives.


Ross Weinberg, Vice President of Investments at Wells Fargo, and Gala Committee Member; Robert DiDiano, Regional Managing Director for Wealth Management at Wells Fargo, who accepted the 2018 Spirit of the Founders award on behalf of Wells Fargo, the event’s honoree; Tere Pettitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteers of America-Greater New York; Rachel Weinstein, Volunteers of America-Greater New York’s Vice President of Communications and External Relations, and the founder of Operation Backpack®; Gerry Cunningham, Chairman, Volunteers of America-Greater New York Board of Directors, Principal at Deloitte (Retired), and Gala Committee Member; Willie Geist, host of Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and Morning Joe co-host, and event emcee

Robert DiDiano, Regional Managing Director for Wealth Management at Wells Fargo, accepted the award on behalf of the company. Wells Fargo was being honored for its very generous support of Operation Backpack®, a community service of VOA-GNY that helps ensure that every child living in a New York City homeless or domestic violence shelter gets a new, top-quality backpack filled with supplies in time for the first day of school.

VOA-GNY also extended a special recognition to The Weeks Lerman Group and Magnusson Architecture and Planning for their longtime, year-round support of the organization.

Willie Geist, host of Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and Morning Joe co-host, emceed the fundraiser, themed “A New York Winter’s Eve.”


Mike Warren, Director of Catering for CPS Events at The Plaza and Gala Committee Member; Sam Yang, Gala Committee Member; Megan O’Neil; Harold Warren; Amy Schwartz; and David Warren
The Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) team, led by Principal Magnus Magnusson (back row, first from left), received the Community Partners Recognition for their year-round support of VOA programs
Gala Committee Members Gerry Cunningham, Chairman, Volunteers of America-Greater New York Board of Directors and Principal at Deloitte (Retired); Lou Switzer, Chairman and CEO of The Switzer Group
L to R.: Sharmin Prince, Director of Veterans Initiatives at Volunteers of America-Greater New York David Matera, Volunteers of America-Greater New York; Board Member; and Linda Matera
Sid Lerman, CEO of The Weeks Lerman Group, who accepted the Community Partners Recognition on behalf of The Weeks Lerman Group at the event; and Carole Lerman
Danielle Stadler; Jake Axelrod; Susan Axelrod, Volunteers of America-Greater New York Board Member, Chief Supervisory Officer at Merrill Lynch, and Gala Committee Member; and Fred Axelrod
Jim Casey and Susan Luelsdorf
Robert DiDiano, Regional Managing Director for Wealth Management at Wells Fargo; Ross Weinberg, Vice President of Investments at Wells Fargo, and Gala Committee Member; and Kenny Smith, Senior Partner and Financial Services Industry Leader at Deloitte, and Gala Committee Member
Magnus Magnusson, Principal at Magnusson Architecture and Planning, who accepted the Community Partners Recognition on behalf of Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) at the event; and Tere Pettitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteers of America-Greater New York
Sid Lerman, CEO of The Weeks Lerman Group, who accepted the Community Partners Recognition on behalf of The Weeks Lerman Group at the event; and Tere Pettitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteers of America-Greater New York

Photographs by Ben Asen Photography (VoA); Erin Baiano (NYCB)

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