11.22.10: Strengthening bonds | New York Social Diary

Strengthening bonds

John and Susan Hess, Patty and John McEnroe, Jimmy Fallon, Karyn and Jeff Zucker, and Seth Meyers

Last Thursday night after cocktails in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda of the American Museum of Natural History, more than 650 guests moved to the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life for dinner, a live auction, and a performance by Sir Elton John at AMNH's 2010 Museum Gala. Elton performed “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” “Benny and the Jets,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” and a song from his new album with Leon Russell, “You’re Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody).”

Tom Brokaw and Jamie Niven from Sotheby’s conducted an auction that offered an array of luxuries. A weekend stay, as guests of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace went for $100,000 to David Koch, who is also a friend of the duke, and may well have stayed there in the past. The auction raised more than $700,000 bringing the evening’s total to more than $3 million.

Jay Pharoah, Paul Brittain, Kenan Thompson, Bobby Moynihan

Jay Pharoah, Paul Brittain, Kenan Thompson, and Bobby Moynihan

Dr. Mehmet and Lisa Oz

Gala Chairs Jodie and John Eastman

Nate, Kitty, and Trevor Kempner

John and Patty McEnroe

Steve Martin and Gala Chair Lorne Michaels

Steve Martin and Lorne Michaels

Brian and Jane Williams

Jeff Richmond and Alec Baldwin

Karen LeFrak

Chris Delagatto and Veronica Webb

Vanessa Bayer, Abby Elliot, and Nassim Pedrad

Fab 5 Freddie Braithwaite

Gayle King

Gala chairs were Jodie and John Eastman, Kathy and Tom Freston, and Alice and Lorne Michaels. Among the guests were Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Meg Ryan, Gayle King, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lisa Oz, John McEnroe and Patty Smyth, Steve Higgens, David Birnbaum, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, Jane Krakowski, Ann Ziff, Richard and Karen LeFrak, Henri sarguirdjian, Alan and Susan Patricof, Marlene Hess and James Zirin, Retta Cox Taylor, Lily, the Duchess of Marlborough, Virginia Hearst, Alan and Jill Rapport, Adrian and Charlotte Benepe, Meredith Brokaw, Lee Niven, Brian and Jane Williams, Barbara and Keith Gollust, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter.

Sir Elton John in Ocean Life

Sir Elton John performs in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life

The evening was presented by Graff and ABN AMRO. Gift bags included blue diamond chocolates given by Graff, plus an invitation to see the magnificent Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond now on display in the Museum’s Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals through January 2nd.

Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Fred Armisen, and Ann Stringfield

Jane Krawkowski

Ellen V. Futter and Barbara Gollust

Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and Jack McBrayer

Taran Killam, Nasim Pedrad, Bobby Moynihan

Taran Killam, Nasim Pedrad, and Bobby Moynihan

David and Julia Koch

Jill and Claire Bernard, Allison Mignone, and the Museum’s Chairmen of the Board of Trustees Lewis W. Bernard

Jill and Claire Bernard, Allison Mignone, and Lewis W. Bernard

Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, and Gala Chair John Eastman

Lewis W. Bernard with Allison and Roberto Mignone

Museum President Ellen V. Futter and Meg Ryan

Duchess Lily Spencer-Churchill and Peter Lyden

Taran Killam, Andy Samberg, and Seth Meyers

Lorne Michaels and Alice Michaels with Jimmy Fallon

Lee and Jamie Niven with Museum President Ellen V. Futter

Ellen V. Futter with Tom and Meredith Brokaw

Bill and Susan Flanagan

John and Susan Hess and Gala Chair Lorne Michaels

John and Susan Hess and Lorne Michaels

Sylvester and Gillian Miniter

Anne Hathaway

Sir Elton John and Museum President Ellen V. Futter

Sir Elton John and Ellen V. Futter

Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, and Andy Samberg

At the ASPCA’s annual Humane Awards Luncheon at the Pierre on November 11, they honored animals and animal champions including New York City firefighters, a co-creator of The Simpsons, and a black Lab who redefines the term “rescue dog.”

Pearl, the 2010 Dog of the Year, is an active Lab who, after finding her true calling as a search dog, helped rescue earthquake victims in Haiti. Volunteers from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) based in Ojai, CA, discovered Pearl in a shelter and trained her as a certified search dog, and in January, the heroic pup and her handler, Ron Horetski of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, were deployed to Haiti. They and six other SDF teams spent two weeks digging through concrete and debris to locate survivors, ultimately helping save 12 people.


	Ron Horetski and Ed Sayres with Pearl, the 2010 Dog of the Year

Pearl wasn’t the only honoree who has served those in crisis. The Cat of the Year, Henry—whose leg was amputated—inspired a series of children’s books by Cathy Conheim that aim to help people understand and feel compassion toward those with disabilities.

The books have been distributed to Hurricane Katrina victims and a children’s amputee project in Haiti. And 11-year-old honoree Olivia Bouler, a talented artist, pledged to send a watercolor bird illustration to up to 500 people who made donations to the Audubon Society after she learned how Gulf Coast birds were harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To date, this Kid of the Year has raised more than $180,000 for wildlife disaster-relief groups.

“Birds are so miraculous, and so fascinating—why not love them?” Olivia told the crowd at the awards lunch. “Everyone can make a difference, and I’m here to prove it.”

Other 2010 honorees included The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon for his Sam Simon Foundation, which selects shelter dogs for training as assistance dogs for the deaf and for veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and operates a very busy mobile spay/neuter clinic; the two pilots behind Animal Rescue Flights, a nonprofit group that moves animals from overcrowded shelters to other parts of the country, where loving families are waiting to adopt them; the firefighters of Ladder 116 in Queens, New York, who rescued 30 dogs and cats from a burning pet store; and the founder of Days End Farm Horse Rescue, Inc., a Maryland woman who fights doggedly for equines nationwide.

“The ASPCA Humane Award winners have demonstrated extraordinary courage and compassion in the face of adversity, from natural disasters to man-made crises," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "The ASPCA is proud to honor those who have dedicated their lives to strengthening the human-animal bond."

Amanda and Peter Espy

Debbie Bancroft, Georgina Schaeffer, Jennifer Oken, and Peter Hallock

Amy Hoadley and Randall Gianopulous

Christina Noble and Fernanda Kellogg

Libby Fitzgerald and Lisa McCarthy

Allison Stern, Mark Gilbertson, and Elaine Langone

Brad Farley and Sandy Bishop

Beth Stern

Bill Secord and Frannie Scafe

Rosanna Scotto

Jenna Stewart and Sam Simon

Linda Lambert and Isaac Mizrahi

Lourdes Kobernick, Sally Spooner, and Jeffery Kobernick

Michael Bruno and Ellen Scarborough

Lorna Graev and Evelyn Tompkins

Nicole Miller

Rebecca Davis and Charlan von Saher

Margo Langenberg and Elke Gazzara

Michael Pierceson, Jeff Pfeifle, and Christopher Spitzmiller

Mark Gilbertson and Michele Gradin

Susan Slater

Melanie Wambold and Nancy O'Sullivan

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 7 World Trade Center, leaders from the art, architectural, science, and academic communities came together in celebration of the The Cooper Union’s Eighth Annual Urban Visionaries Award Dinner and Silent Art Auction.

Urban Visionaries awards are bestowed upon distinguished individuals whose outstanding contributions to city life exemplify the spirit of innovation and creative and civic values championed by The Cooper Union. This year’s honorees were: Frank Gehry, Architecture; Marina Abramovic, Visual Art; Brian Greene, Engineering & Science; Danny Meyer, Urban Citizenship; and The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Emerging Talent.

The Empire State Building Company provided special lighting that night in celebration of The Cooper Union's 8th Annual Urban Visionaries Award Dinner and Silent Art Auction.

The Urban Visionaries 2010 Awards

Table piece and setting

Urban Visionaries-Architecture-Frank Gehry, President George Campbell Jr., Urban Visionaries-Urban Citizenship-Danny Meyer, Dinner Chair and Cooper Union Trustee Doug Hamilton, and Cooper Union Board of Trustee Chairman Mark Epstein

President George Campbell Jr., Urban Visionaries-Architecture-Frank Gehry, Urban Visionaries-Urban Citizenship-Danny Meyer, Toshiko Mori, Urban Visionaries honoree-Engineering and Science-Brian Greene, Dinner Chairs and Cooper Union Trustee Doug Hamilton, and Judy Hamilton

The benefit included a cocktail reception and silent art auction of small works donated by well-known contemporary artists and architects such as Christo, Marina Abramovic, Stephen Doyle, Carl Fischer, Milton Glaser, Sue Ferguson Gussow, Jenny Holzer, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Carmelle Safdie and Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, followed by dinner and the awards presentation.

Marc Appleton and Joanna Kerns, Jules Demchick and Barbara Nessim, Judy and Douglas A.P. Hamilton, and Toshiko Mori were Dinner Chairs.

Audrey and Danny Meyer

Elizabeth Diller, Ric Scofidio, Frank Gehry, and George Campbell Jr.

Urban Visionaries honoree-Art Marina Abramovic, Donald Mullen, Natalie Garcia, and Klaus Biesenbach

Dinner Chair and Cooper Union Trustee Doug Hamilton with Michael E Porter

Frank Gehry

Architecture student Laura Genes, Danny Meyer, and George Campbell Jr.

Audrey Meyer, Danny Meyer, Doug Hamilton, and Judy Hamilton

Ric Scofidio, Elizabeth Diller, and Carmi Bee

Artist Keith Godard at the auction

Fred Bernstein and Toshiko Mori

Marina Abramovic

George Campbell Jr. with School of Art Dean at Cooper Union Saskia Bos

George Campbell Jr., Mary Schmidt Campbell, and John Carr, Esq.

Irma Giustino Weiss and Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Dean at the Cooper Union Anthony Vidler

Martha Stewart, Alex Postman, and Ina Saltz

Eva Diaz, Emily Apter, and George Campbell Jr.

Dennis Adams, School of Art student Onyedika Chuke, and David Gersen

Also on Thursday a week ago, the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter held their 16th Annual Lou Gehrig Sports Awards benefit at the New York Marriott Marquis (Broadway at 45th Street.) 640 guests attended and they raised over $1.1 million.

Honorees receiving the Lou Gehrig Sports Award included Tennis Champion Pam Shriver and New York Yankees First Baseman Mark Teixeira. The Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to ALS advocate Madelon Rand. ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap served as the Master of Ceremonies


	Honorees Mark Teixeira, Madelon Rand, and Pam Shriver

Bob Costas joined Kim and Trason Murray in presenting the award to Teixeira. The Murray family shares a very special connection to Mark, made during the New York Yankees’ 2009 HOPE Week. The Yankees honored George Murray, a 38-year-old veteran of the Army’s 82nd Airborne who no longer had use of his arms or legs due to ALS, fulfilling his dream of going to a Yankees game with his then 4-year-old son Trason and wife Kim.

The Yankees invited the Murrays to the Stadium on July 22, 2009, for batting practice and the game, then surprised the couple on their anniversary with a suite of 30 friends and family from home as well as Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, and several other Yankees players. Following the game, the Murrays received a private tour of Yankee Stadium with Teixeira and the Yankees players. Sadly, George succumbed to the disease a couple of weeks after his stadium visit.

The Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to ALS advocate Madelon Rand. Madelon and her husband Lawrence Rand have dedicated their lives to finding a cure for the fatal affliction. Along with her sister Rochelle, they founded the National ALS Foundation (NALS) in New York City and worked tirelessly to advance ALS research and patient care. In 1985, NALS merged with several prominent ALS advocacy groups to become The ALS Association, the only national association dedicated to discovering the cause and cure of ALS. In 2002, Rochelle died of ALS at age 62. This past December, Madelon herself was diagnosed with ALS. Larry has co-chaired the Lou Gehrig Sports Awards Benefit since its inception and received the Javits Award in 1997.

Allan, Josh, Madelon, Emily, and Larry Rand

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) – also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease – is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost, leading to progressive paralysis. The approximately 30,000 people in the United States annually fighting ALS survive two to five years from the time of diagnosis. As one of The ALS Association's leading chapters, the Greater New York Chapter covers Long Island, New York City, Westchester & 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.