11.27.09: Celebration of Life | New York Social Diary

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Celebration of Life

Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages, Joba Chamberlain, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Gail Grimmett and New Yorkers for Children Youth Advisory Board member, Anthony

A week ago last Tuesday, New Yorkers for Children and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees hosted the 7th annual “Wrap to Rap” holiday gift wrapping event benefiting youth in foster care in New York City.

DJ D-Nice spun hip-hop and holiday classics. Guests enjoyed a special performance from Kerry Butler, Constantine Maroulis, Angel Reed, Emily Padgett, Becca Tobin and Michele Mais of Broadway’s “Rock of Ages.”

Constantine Maroulis with Rock of Ages

The NYFC Board and Friends Committee joined more than 100 teens in foster care to wrap more than 1500 toys and gifts.

The gifts will be distributed by the Administration of Children’s Services to children in foster care throughout New York during the holiday season.

Joba Chamberlain and Zohnell Dixon

Among those attending and wrapping were: Selita Ebanks, Zac Posen, Paul and Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Maggie Betts, Alina Cho, Gail Grimmett, Fabiola Beracasa, Lydia Fenet, Susan Burden, Jennifer Creel, Susan Shin, Marisa Brown, Amy McFarland, Susan Magazine, Nicole Esposito, Scott Posner, Alexandra Becker, Martin Gibson Dessoffy, Ayla Famos, Alison Harmelin, Allison Aston, Vanessa von Bismarck, and Lauren Shorti Pinto.

Abby Labius, Selita Ebanks, and Zac Posen

Amy McFarland, Joba Chamberlain, and Anthony Tavaras

Alison Harmelin

Fabiola Beracasa

Joba Chamberlain

Amy McFarland and Constantine Maroulis

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos an dJennifer Creel

Alina Cho and Zac Posen

Deja Childress, Scott Posner, and Jessica Maxwell

Joba Chamberlain and Selita Ebanks

Peter Kanavos, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Joba Chamberlain, and Selita Ebanks

DJ Nice

Allison Aston and Susan Magazine

Amy McFarland, Norma Becker, and Amy McFarland

Gail Grimmett and Joba Chamberlain

Maggie Betts and Akimie Mangum

Alina Cho

Zhanna Raymond and Marisa Noel Brown

Shakeel Taylor and Lydia Fenet

Susan Burden, Susan Magazine, and Susan Shin

Photographs by PatrickMcMullan.com.

Two weeks ago on November 9th, the Fountain Gallery held its 8th annual Celebration of Life benefit on the 14th floor of the Citi Executive Conference Center which was transformed into an elegant art salon for the display of more than 100 original artworks by Gallery artists.

The event is a collaboration of the commercial real estate industry and the New York arts community with Fountain Gallery the premier venue in New York City representing artists with mental illness.

Agnes Gund, President Emerita of MoMA was a Special Guest. Ms. Gund was curator of the recent Fountain Gallery exhibition “Is White a Color?”

Founding Chair Dario Gristina, Co-Chairs John McGinley, Leslie Harwood, and Peter DiCapua, and Fountain Gallery Director Jason Bowman

The 2009 recipients of the Esther Montanez Leadership Award were: The Honorable Charles B. Rangel, and Alma Rangel, Vice-Chair, New York Foundation for Senior Citizens; The Honorable Christine C. Quinn, Elizabeth Szancer Kujawski, Art Advisor and Curator, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; and Suzanne Lemakis, Director, Department of Fine Art, Citi. The Award is presented in honor of the memory of Esther Montanez, who was a driving force in the founding of Fountain Gallery.

Dario Gristina, CEO of Genergy, is Founding Chair of Celebration of Life. This year’s Co-Chairs were: Peter L. DiCapua, Matt Duthie, Rick Froio, Carmel W. Fromson, Leslie Harwood, John McGinley, Lynn Nicholas, PsyD, Richard D. Parsons, Bruce C. Ratner, Betsy Seidman, Andrew Stenzler, and Henry P. van Ameringen.

Matt Duthie, Rick Froio, JuneAnn Patrick, Marcia Mann, and Rich Hiler

Dice Cooper, Alma and Charles Rangel, Alan Miller, and Marty Cohen

Among those attending were: Didi and David Barrett, Renée Boicourt, Jill Braufman, Brett and Carmel Fromson, Lorna and Larry Graev, Lawrence Gresser, Deborah Krulewitch, Anne Mai, Jerrold Nadler, Lynn and Nick Nicholas, Cyrus Vance, Leslie Weiss, and David Weprin.

Founded in 2000 as a not-for-profit cooperative, Fountain Gallery exhibits work by a core group of members of Fountain House, the world’s leading provider of rehabilitation services for men, women, and young adults living with major mental illness. The Gallery also collaborates with a wide network of artists, curators, and cultural institutions, providing a platform for exchange and public dialogue. To learn more about Fountain Gallery, please visit: www.fountaingallerynyc.com.

Larry and Lorna Graev

Dario Gristina and Andy Stenzler

Agnes Gund, Fountain Gallery artist Iaeden Hovorka, and Co-Chair Henry van Ameringen

Fountain Gallery artist Anthony Newton and Fountain House President Kenn Dudek

Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congressman Charles Rangel

Agnes Gund, Jason Bowman, and NY City Council Speaker Christine Quinn

Elizabeth Szancer Kujawski and Suzanne Lemakis

Co-Chair Lynn Nicholas and Fountain Gallery artist Keith Pavia

Sasha Nicholas and Steven Caputo

David and Didi Barrett

Barry Weprin and NY City Council member David Weprin

Frank and Nicolette Sinatra

Fountain Gallery artist Vladimir Nikolski

Fountain Gallery artist Gary Brent Hilsen

Photographs by Leslie Barbaro Photography.

Rock legend Lou Reed, New York’s first Public Advocate Mark Green and Mayor Cory Booker as well as Ben Jelen, Yannick Noah and Dominic Chianese attended Ten O’Clock Classics’ (TOC) sixth annual charity gala on November 10th at the Union Square Ballroom in Manhattan. Other special guests included Silvercup Studio’s president Stuart Match Suna and David Picket, president of Gotham Organization, Inc. and TOC’s Chairman.

Lou Reed and Ronen Segev with children from the Mount Carmel Holy Rosary School in East Harlem.

TOC raised in excess of $200,000 auctioning off items such as a Justin Timberlake autographed piano and two Lou Reed autographed guitars. The evening included performances by Ben Jelen and twenty children from Mount Carmel Holy Rosary School in East Harlem who performed Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. The 12-year-old prodigy violinist Alice Ivy-Pemberton brought the event’s guests to tears with her performance of Fritz Kreisler’s Prelude and Allegro. French tennis star Yannick Noah sang La Bombe Humaine; and world renowned opera singer Ailyn Perez performed Puccini's Ch'il bel sogno. Additionally, proceeds from paintings sold by celebrated Hampton’s based-artist Michelle Suna, displayed throughout the event space, went to TOC.

Mark Green, Ronen Segev, Michelle Suna, and Stuart Match Suna

Ten O’Clock Classics is a non-profit group seeking to eliminate the financial barriers that keep talented, underprivileged children in New York City from fully realizing their artistic potential by providing them with the resources needed to study classical music. TOC provides music lessons, instruments and musical education outings free of charge to children in East Harlem and The Bronx.

Andre Royo

Billy Lerner and Michelle Suna

Lou Reed

Fern Jelen, Ben Jelen, and Ailyn Perez

Dr. Dan Richman, Dominic Chianese, and Carrie Waible

Stuart Match Suna, Joel Picket, and David Picket

Yannick Noah with Michelle Suna

12-year-old prodigy violinist Alice Ivy-Pemberton

Stuart Match Suna, Billy Lerner, and David Picket

Howard Weiner holding up Lou Reed autographed guitar he purchased at live auction, Billy Lerner, and friend

Yannick Noah singing on stage with Michelle Suna

Photographs by Jakes van der Watt/HIM Photo.

The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter held its15th Annual Lou Gehrig Sports Awards Benefit at the New York Marriott Marquis. Cocktails and a silent auction were followed by dinner and an awards presentation. They raised $700,000 with nearly 500 guests.

The night’s honorees included New York Yankees greats Richard Michael “Goose” Gossage and Bernie Williams, legendary NFL running back Curtis Martin, and NBA Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins.

Lawrence Rand, Honoree Bernie Williams, Arthur Weinbach, David Lubars, and Alan Griffith.

TV sports announcer Bob Costas presented The Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award to New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey. Sportswriter, television reporter, and author Jeremy Schaap, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

As one of The ALS Association's leading chapters, the Greater New York Chapter covers Long Island, New York City, Westchester and Rockland Counties and Northern and Central New Jersey and plays a major role in promoting the mission to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. ALSA is a member of the National Health Council.

Ray Robinson and Honoree George Vescey

Wendy Schriber and Gerry Lukeman

Dorine Gordon and Honoree Curtis Martin

Rod Nichols, Gerry Lukeman, and Lenny Katz

Honoree Rich "Goose" Gossage

John Starks

Jeremy Schaap

David and Laura Saunders with a friend

Joshua Javits presents the Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award to New York Times sportswriter, George Vescey

Curtis Martin and David Herman

Jane H. Gilbert, Vicky Sbarro, Richard Rose, and ALS Association Greater NY Chapter President and CEO Dorine Gordon

Richard Rose, Ray Robinson and his wife, Phyllis

Daniel MacGowan, MD and Stephen Scelsa, MD

Photographs by Jack McCoy.

The School of American Ballet held a committee luncheon with the Chairmen of the 2010 Winter Ball at Bar Boulud. Host Chairman, Pamela J. Joyner and Co-Chairman, Marissa Mayer and Elizabeth R. Miller were in attendance. After the luncheon attendees were invited to watch a ballet class at the school.