And the countdown to Christmas has begun. Are you making your list and checking it twice? There’s the grocery shopping list for hosting Christmas dinner, the just appetizers and beverages list if you’re hosting something intimate, the guest list, the play list, the list of presents, the list of who has been naughty or nice, the list for gifts you will take to your hosts who have invited you to that most coveted party and last but certainly not least, the list of presents you are going to give to yourself.
Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV, founder of the Alliance for Lupus Research and chairman/CEO of the New York Jets; Richard “Dick” DeSherer, president of the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation and chief legal and compliance officer, Bloomberg; Ken Farber, president, Alliance for Lupus Research; and Margaret G. Dowd, president/CEO, Lupus Research Institute and executive director, S.L.E. Lupus Foundation welcomed more than 600 guests to the Moving Forward Together to Fight Lupus gala. The event celebrated the upcoming merger of the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and S.L.E. Lupus Foundation as they joined hands to host their first joint dinner. Held at the Waldorf Astoria under subdued, yet mystical, blue lighting, the gala was heralded as being the largest lupus fundraiser in the world, raising close to $3 million. Funds will be used for innovative research that can save lives while advancing ever so steadily towards a cure.
Accepting the Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of Verizon Communications, Inc., which has been a long-time supporter of the ALR’s research initiatives and a contributor to the lupus community, was Michelle Ifill, Greater New York City Area senior vice president and general counsel at Verizon Corporate Services, Inc. Little did we know that thousands of Verizon employees have attended ALR walkathon events across the country and have raised more than half a million dollars by going out and fundraising on their own. Newscaster Brenda Blackmon served as emcee. Among those in attendance was Matilda Cuomo, mother of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and wife of the late and former Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Not to be outdone was the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), which hosted its annual New York Dinner at the Pierre Hotel. This event raised more than $6 million to support groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research, and the PCF has raised more than $615 million and provided funding globally to more than 2,000 research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1993 by Michael and Lori Milken, remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and fund groundbreaking cancer research programs to save the lives of million.
Receiving an award for his philanthropic endeavors on behalf of the PCF’s Philadelphia partners in funding groundbreaking research was David Cohen of Comcast. His award was presented by former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. The dinner also honored the 20th season the PCF has partnered with Major League Baseball and its team owners for the PCF Homerun Challenge, with Baseball Hall of Fame managers Joe Torre, Tommy Lasorda and Tony Lasorda, all of whom were in attendance, along with Whoppi Goldberg, who served as the evening’s emcee.
Happy birthday, newly elected District Leader Earnestine Bell-Temple and Lucille DeLaney Carrion. Elizabeth Rankin-Fulcher just hosted an 80th birthday celebration at Giando on the Water for her good friend Jacqueline McMickens. Jackie, an attorney, who still practices law at her firm in Brooklyn, decided to celebrate her 80th in Italy for the entire month of December. Elizabeth is also celebrating her eldest grandson Jordan Hinkson’s 21st birthday, although at a distance because Jordan, who is a Posse Foundation scholar at the University of Wisconsin‒Madison, is celebrating in Las Vegas.
Dr. Kenneth A. Forde and Kareitha Forde joined more than 350 guests gathered for Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons’ sixth Annual Crown Awards Gala. The College of Physicians and Surgeons is the prestigious medical school of Columbia University Medical Center, and one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. The medical center is home to the largest faculty practice on the East Coast, as well as the largest research enterprise in New York City. If that weren’t enough, the institution is among the oldest in the nation and was the first to grant the M.D. degree. Today, its physicians and researchers are leaders in health care throughout the world. Glad the Fordes were in the house to represent.
Try to ease into the holidays this year. Be vigilant and safe, and if you need a helping hand, try out delivery.com. They offer delivery service for every type of item you can think of, many of which are located in the area. Reliable, easy and fun. Just press the button.
Until next week … kisses.