2.10.11: Fundraising galas galore | New York Social Diary

Fundraising galas galore

The scene at the NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health First Annual Plates for Pediatrics dinner at the St. Regis Hotel.

Last week, NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health First Annual Plates for Pediatrics dinner raised over $340,000 to support the center’s children’s programs. The sold-out event drew 270 attendees to the St. Regis Hotel New York.

The event, hosted by Gerald M. Loughlin, M.D., Pediatrician-In-Chief and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, along with the Pediatric Support Committee and the Children’s Advisory Council, raised funds for several children’s programs: Child Life Services, a program which helps alleviate children’s fears surrounding the hospital experience; The Clown Care Program, which welcomes clowns into the hospital to provide smiles and spend time with patients; The Children’s Emergency Medical Fund that provides patients with access to medical care, regardless of a family’s ability to pay; the Komansky Center Family Advisory Council, a group of dedicated family members committed to providing improved, family-centered care to all patients; and the Pediatric Fellows program.

David Komansky, Dr. Gerald Loughlin, Kathy Burns, Sarah Nash, Jeffrey Monteiro, Scott Patti, and Simon Yom

Dr. Gerald Loughlin, Jeffrey Monteiro, Dr. Laura Forese, Scott Patti, and Simon Yom

In addition to dinner and mingling, guests also participated in a silent auction of a series of unique dinner plates, curated by Art&Advisory, the plates were designed and painted by artists Thomas Nozkowski, Pace Wildenstein gallery; Jonas Wood, Anton Kern gallery; and Nathan Carter, Casey Kaplan gallery.

Guests included Blair Husain; Veronica and Jamie Beard; committee members Marcie Pantzer; Allison and Jay Aston and Whitney and Raja Chatterjee; vice-chairs Tiffany and Claus Moller; Gabrielle Bacon and Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; David Komansky; and Jeffrey Monteiro, Creative Director for Bill Blass, the sponsor of the event.

Esperanda Spinola Pedroni, Kristen Krusen, Gabrielle Bacon, Dr. Barry Kosofsky, Michele Gradin, Ilona Nemeth, and Krista Kreiger

Andrea Ranawat, Cinder White, Christina Soto, Krissy Schmitz, and Angela Clofine

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. For more information, visit www.nyp.org and www.med.cornell.edu.

Veronica and Jamie Beard

Camille Orme, Kathleen Kocatas, Mark Trevino, and Whitney Chatterjee

Fazle and Blair Husain with Kathy and Andrew Thomas

Ulla Parker and Ilona Nemeth

Allison Brokaw and Jennifer Oken

Matthew Mellon and Nicole Hanley Mellon

Rochelle Ludwig and Amanda Poses

Simon Yom, Kate Doerge, and Scott Patti

David Komansky, Dr. Laura Forese, and John Sargent

Cinder White, Krissy Schmitz, and Andrea Ranawat

Sarah Nash and Kathy Burns

Caitlin Tashjian, Jeffrey Monteiro, and Vaughn Dorrian

David Komansky, Sarah Nash, and Dr. Herb Pardes

Dr. Laura Forese and Blair Husain

Mary and Ian Snow

Gabrielle Bacon and Ann Colley

John and Caitlin Tashjian

Manish Mattal and Ritu Sahai-Mittal

Allison Aston, Dr. Laura Forese, Vaughn Dorrian, and Marcie Pantzer

Vaughn Dorrian, Candace Postel, Allison Aston, Merrill Hanley Curtis, and Marcie Pantzer

Robert Conway and Sue Chalom

Donya Bommer, Jennifer Pinkos, and Kate Doerge

Susan Kissane and Jim Kissane

Tuesday night at 583 Park Avenue, the International Women's Health Coalition held its annual fundraising gala dinner and honored Dr. Paul Farmer, physician and founding director of Partner in Health, an international non-profit organization.

Susan Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Guest ?, Adrienne Germain

Susan Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Jim Zirin, and Adrienne Germain

Carlene Burke, Rosemary Coluccio, Liisa Sweet-Korpivaara, Bebe Roopnarine

Carlene Burke, Rosemary Coluccio, Liisa Sweet-Korpivaara, and Bebe Roopnarine

Dr. Farmer's work around the world (and recently in Haiti where he was the UN's Deputy Special Envoy under Special Envoy Bill Clinton) undertakes research and advocacy, especially on behalf of women who are sick and living in poverty. He is also Chairman of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Abbey Gardener, Dr. Paul Farmer, Brian Brink, Adrienne Germain

Abbey Gardener, Dr. Paul Farmer, Brian Brink, and Adrienne Germain

Michele Ateyeh, Fern Mallis, Susan Blumenthal

Michele Ateyeh, Fern Mallis, and Susan Blumenthal

Alice Yoakum and Caroline Dunlop

Tamara Kreinin, Laurie Batchelor, Melissa Batchelor-Warnke

Tamara Kreinin, Laurie Batchelor, and Melissa Batchelor-Warnke

Guest and Sheryl WuDunn

Bess Rothenberg, Kathleen Tropin, Kelly Tropin

Bess Rothenberg, and Kathleen and Kelly Tropin

Alexander Farmna-Farmaian, Delphine Hibon, Sandra Lawson, Hugh Lawson

Alexander Farmna-Farmaian, Delphine Hibon, and Sandra and Hugh Lawson

Aryeh Neier

Caitlin Mitchell and Denise Hirao

Monica Carillo and Stacey Easterling

Bess Rothenberg, Frederica Stines, Babatunde Ahonsi, Angela Diaz

Bess Rothenberg, Frederica Stines, Babatunde Ahonsi, and Angela Diaz

Lori Adelman and Sheila Platt

Caroline Debruin and Sjouerd Nikkelen

Diana Taylor and Ann Unterberg

Dr. Paul Farmer

Abbey Gardener and Susan Nitze

Ginny Bauer, Donald Steckroth, Kathleen Gerard, Holly Andersen

Ginny Bauer, Donald Steckroth, Kathleen Gerard, and Holly Andersen

Hank Lowenstein and Ann Unterberg

Caroline Debruin and Stuart Burden

Susan Rockefeller and Linda Genereux

Wendy O'Neill and Charles Rockefeller

Ishita Chaudhry, Denise Hirao, Monica Carillo

Ishita Chaudhry, Denise Hirao, and Monica Carillo

Ann Unterberg and Marlene Hess

Adrienne Germain and Mari Simonen

Brian Brink and Sheryl WuDunn

Ishita Chaudhry and Adrienne Germain

Marnie Pillsbury and Brian Brink

Peter Nitze, Susan Nitze, Nicholas Platt

Peter Nitze, Susan Nitze, and Nicholas Platt

The white-tie elegance and glamour of the annual Viennese Opera Ball returned last Friday evening (February 4th) to the Waldorf=Astoria Grand Ballroom with its guestlist of diplomats, dignitaries and debutantes.

Metropolitan Opera Artists, Color Guard and Cadet Escorts from U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and a touch of the titled and the royal in the persons of HIH Grand Duchess Arianna and Gabrielle Baroness von Langendorff, plus a great charity (Lauren Bush’s FEED Foundation) made the event complete.

Top these elements with the fairytale beauty of two (real) white horses drawing an antique surrey carrying a beautiful ballerina into the middle of the Ballroom floor, and you’ve got the Viennese Opera Ball.

The Color Guard from West Point

The Debutants and escorts of the 2011 Viennese Opera Ball

The Horse & Carriage carrying ballerina Mila Schmidt

Opera singer Amy Shoremount

Tenor Raul Melo sings from the Royal Box with David Lauren in the background

Debs and escorts on the 1st Tier of the Ballroom

Table centerpiece using the FEED bear, a fundraising gift from Bergdorf-Goodman

The "Alles Waltzer" ... Everyone dance

Dessert featuring images of the FEED bears

Waltzing next to Lauren Bush and her fiancée David Lauren was her mother, Sharon Bush – who took several turns on the floor with the Austrian Ambassador to the U.S. Christian Prosl.

To make it a family affair, Ashley Bush was there to support her sister with her escort, Ryan Mulligan. Fresh from receiving the rare and most distinguished Austria’s Cross of Honor for Science and Art 1st Class was the great maestro Julius Rudel, kicking up his heels at age 90!

To add even more Viennese authenticity to the gala, dashing Alfons Haider, Austrian stage, film and TV star (known as “Mr. Opera Ball”) was the gala’s Master of Ceremonies.

H.E. Ambassador Armin Ritz (Chef de Cabinet, Office of the President, 65th Session of the UN General Assembly) and Mrs. Veronique Ritz

Ryan Mulligan, Ashley Bush, Sharon Bush, and Alex Lari

David Lauren and Lauren Bush with Dieter Beintrexler

Marcie Rudell, Executive Director of The Viennese Opera Ball, with HIH The Grand Duchess Arianna

Silvia Frieser with Johannes Hofer, President of the US-Austrian Chamber of Commerce

Austrian Ambassador to the US Christian Prosl and Sharon Bush

Baroness Gabriella von Langendorff and Sheikh Abdullah Rahman Thuraya

H.E. Thomas Mayr-Harting (Ambassador of Austria to UN), Mrs. Elisabeth Mayr-Harting, and H.E. Daniele Bodini (Ambassador of Republic of San Marino to UN)

Raul Melo and Amy Shoremount with Metropolitan Opera Maestro Julius Rudel

This past Monday at the Breakers, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation held its Hot Pink Luncheon and Symposium. 250 guests were in attendance, raising nearly $425,000. The crux of the event, How Science is Revolutionizing our Approach to Breast Cancer, featured a panel of five of the world’s leading breast cancer experts conferring over the latest advances in breast cancer research. Moreover, guests previewed Neiman Marcus’s Spring 2011 Collections during an informal fashion presentation.

Panelists included: Clifford Hudis, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Tan Ince, MD, PhD, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami; Edith A. Perez, MD, Mayo Clinic; Nadine M. Tung, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. Moderator: Larry Norton, MD, BCRF Scientific Director, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Cliff Hudis, Dr. Nadine Tung, Dr. Tan Ince, Dr. Edith Perez, standing Myra Biblowit, Dr. Larry Norton, Evelyn Lauder, and Peg Mastrianni

Braver Philanthropic Fund, Credit Suisse, The Sol Goldman Charitable Trust, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Neiman Marcus, and Barbara and Randall Smith served as underwriters.

Co-chairmen included Donna Acquavella, Sandy Krakoff, Evelyn Lauder, Hillie Mahoney, Pauline Pitt, Tricia Quick, Hilary Geary Ross, Frances Scaife, and Judith Schlager.

Seated: Maria Sanchez, Lilliam Arguelles, Raysa Fanjul, Chichi Arellano, and Lourdes Fanjul. Standing: Alicia LaMadrid, Talbot Maxey, Carol Mack, and Sherry Scott

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. In October 2010, BCRF awarded $33 million to 172 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Currently, more than 90 cents of every dollar donated is directed to breast cancer research and awareness programs. With exceptionally low administrative costs, BCRF continues to be one of the most efficient organizations in the country. BCRF has received 4 stars from Charity Navigator for nine consecutive years, outperforming 99% of more than 5500 evaluated charities. Furthermore, the Foundation is consistently listed as an “A+” charity by The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP). BCRF is the only breast cancer organization to receive AIP’s top accolade, and is currently the only cancer organization to hold this ranking. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.