Monday, August 21, 2023. The weekend weather was so comfortable that I had to look it up before I finished this paragraph: mid- to low-80s with bright sunshine, very comfortably warm with lots of boats of all sizes moving steadily both north and south. It should be added to this loveliness that the current Air Quality was “Poor.” It has been Poor or Very Poor for days and days now.
As it has been for the past few weeks, the town is quiet, although we get (and publish) lots of activity out of town, out East and up Northeast very often near the beaches along the Atlantic coast. Certain communities are more social than others which is where you can find a lot of affluent New Yorkers and northeasterners.
The first one on our list today is a dinner dance in Newport. Out of town where Summer is providing. With the theme “Outer Space To the Stars,” The Preservation Society of Newport County’s annual Summer Dinner Dance last Saturday, August 12th, was “out of this world.”
Arriving guests strolled through the spectacular foyer of Alva Vanderbilt’s Marble House onto the back terrace, where they were greeted by two living “statues” clad in celestial silver costumes. From that moment, guests moved through a “time tunnel” — from the Gilded Age to a futuristic Space Age inside an elaborately decorated 100-by-140-foot tent.
After an exquisite dinner by The Catered Affair, guests “Danced on the Moon” to the starry music of The Bob Hardwick Sound, moving across a 48-by-28-foot dance floor covered by a vinyl moonscape.
The dance was co-chaired by Mary Katherine and Diana Prince — whose family owned Marble House from 1932 to 1963, before it was transferred to the Preservation Society. This evening is a major fundraiser for the Preservation Society.
The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties — seven of them National Historic Landmarks — span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
The Society has done a superb job at preserving a way of life that was much simpler and closer to human reality than what confronts us in today’s “automated” world. This is just a matter of fact. A trip to Newport is worth it just to see how they’ve preserved our history lest we forget.
For more information visit www.NewportMansions.org
Newport is history. It’s one of the first important seaside communities all the way back to the 17th century, and the seaside real estate always attracted the rich. At the end of the 19th century, for the very rich of the Industrial Revolution, it became the ideal spot.
Alva Vanderbilt’s dream of a palace was really that and nothing more. After she divorced Willlie K., she married Mr. Belmont who had his own mansion right across the avenue. She moved right in and did it over. But after he died suddenly only a few years later, she changed many things in her life: the palace interior had lost its allure as she turned her interest to Women’s Rights. Marble House is a brilliant piece of American economic and political history. Marble House is now an icon historically because at the center of social activity at this time in our history, is finding ways to help, to assist each other, to live together.
All of the events on today’s page are the activities of those of us fund-raising for causes for the good of all of us. This of course is the ideal, and challenging because of it.
Another example: Music superstar and renowned dancer, choreographer Paula Abdul performed at Northwell Health’s fifth annual Summer Hamptons Evening (SHE). They raised $1 million for the Katz Institute for Women’s Health.
The event was held in Water Mill, NY, at the residence of Victoria Moran-Furman, who hosted alongside presenting sponsors Iris and Saul Katz, benefactors of Northwell’s Katz Institute; Eric Moran, and celebrity event planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events.
Supporters of the event are raising health for the women in the communities Northwell serves. The Katz Institute is driven by the Katzes’ vision that women in all walks of life and at every age, especially in underserved communities, should receive access to the best individualized care and resources. The institute has created the only network of experts — including clinicians, scientists and researchers — who are uniquely qualified to address the healthcare needs of women.
The evening featured a discussion between Stacey E. Rosen, MD, senior vice president of women’s health at the Katz Institute and the Partners Council Professor of Women’s Health, and Jeannine Villella, MD, director of the Northwell Cancer Institute for Manhattan and chief of gynecologic oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital. The conversation was emceed by Rosanna Scotto, anchor of “Good Day New York” on WNYW-Fox 5 News.
“Northwell serves the largest number of cancer patients in New York state, and our unique philosophy of care ensures that we treat not just the cancer but the whole person,” said Dr. Villella. “We are committed to providing leading-edge innovative treatments and therapies, as well as numerous support programs, to help our patients and their families through this difficult journey.”
The Summer Hamptons Evening supports Northwell’s Outpacing the Impossible campaign, a comprehensive $1.4 billion fundraising effort that supports Northwell’s promise to the people it serves. The campaign’s objectives include improving hospitals and clinical programs, accelerating research and funding endowment. For more information, visit Northwell.edu
And finally, the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Foundation (DRIF) held their 3rd annual Hamptons Garden Gala to raise awareness and funds toward finding a biological cure for diabetes.
The event was Hosted and Co-Chaired by Patricia and Roger Silverstein and held at their home in Water Mill. Vice Chairs for the event included Doug Donaldson, Abigail Pollak, Susan Shin, and Lauren Smart. The DRIF’s Scientific Director, Matthias von Herrath, M.D., shared some of the latest developments in the field of diabetes research.
Gala guests were entertained by live music, a luxury silent auction, dancing under the stars and more. They were wowed by a special performance by acclaimed speed painter Revel, who painted the evening’s first live auction item upside down, keeping guests and bidders guessing up to the last minute, until he flipped it around to reveal a beautiful pop rendition of the Venus de Milo. The live auction was conducted by Tonight Show comedian Seth Herzog as auctioneer and emcee.
The Media Partner for the event was Purist Magazine which aims to help readers refine and define the lives they seek. Here, you will find strength, equilibrium, peace of mind, lots of laughter, and loads of love in its pages.
Catering was provided by Peter Ambrose, wine by Sip Channé, Grapes & Greens, and Chandon by Moët Hennessy, and tequila by Flecha Azul Tequila.
Notable Attendees included: Doug Donaldson, Abigail Pollak, Susan Shin, Lauren Smart, Matthias von Herrath, M.D., Natalie von Herrath, Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Luann de Lesseps, Revel, Seth Herzog, Michael Burton, Jean Shafiroff, Carrie Packin, Brian Packin, Noreen Donovan, Jim Donovan, Kavita Channe, Valerie Greenberg, Maximilian Eicke, Irina Eicke, Viktoria von Siemens, Andrea Greeven Douzet, Laura Nicklas, and more.
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the DRI Foundation has thousands of supporters in the United States and worldwide, and, in addition to its headquarters in Florida, operates a regional development office in New York. The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation was created for one reason — to cure diabetes — which is and will continue to be its singular focus until that goal is reached.
The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) is the organization of choice for those who are serious, passionate, and committed to curing diabetes. Its mission — to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now — is a testament to the belief that tomorrow is not soon enough to cure those living with diabetes. For the millions of individuals and families affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is the best hope for a cure.
For additional information, visit www.diabetesresearch.org
