Clive Davis Marty Richards, Stephen Marriott & Chuck Scarborough
EVENT RAISES ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR LIGHTHOUSE PROGRAMS THAT HELP MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
New York, NY - Music legend Clive Davis joined Stephen Marriott, Hollywood Producer Marty Richards, News Channel 4 anchor Chuck Scarborough and many other celebrities and honorees for the "Music of Winternight" Gala at The New York Marriott Marquis on Wednesday, March 7, 2007. The event, which attracted more than 750 people, raised one million dollars for Lighthouse programs which serve people with visual impairments.
According to Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, "The response to our event demonstrates that people are very supportive of our mission to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss to enjoy productive and independent lives".
The black tie event was chaired by Barbara Saltzman. Master of Ceremonies Chuck Scarborough saluted "Lighthouse Legends" Clive Davis, Kitty Carlisle Hart and Carol Channing. Veteran film star Arlene Dahl accepted for Carol Channing.
A jaunty Clive Davis gave the crowd a wave upon receiving his award. "I have been blessed and I want to continually give back," he said. He added that it was a great honor, noting that 160 million people world wide are suffering with vision problems and that Lighthouse International has been their beacon of hope for over 100 years. Clive cited a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote from a page in the journal sponsored by Board Chair Roger O. Goldman, Fern Portnoy and family: "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you lived well."
The evening's honorees Stephen Marriott, Executive Vice President, Marriott International Inc., and Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, President, Product Development, Genentech, Inc. spoke as well. President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter and Senator John E. Sununu were Honorary Patrons. There were Proclamations from Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton, Senator Charles Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David Paterson.
The evening's Co-Chairs included Cece Cord; Ella Krasner; Marty Richards; Morgan Stanley's Ann D. Thivierge and The Macula Foundation's Lawrence A. Yannuzzi, MD. There were other chairs: William J. Moran, Industry Chair; Brian Wood, Auction Chair; Regan Stone, Young Leadership Chair; Vice Chairs: Thomas S. T. Gimbel; William P. Miller; Jonathan Wainwright; Debbie Bancroft; Adria de Haume; Beth DeWoody; Bloomingdale's Michael Gould; Annette Green; Jamee Gregory; Mai Hallingby Harrison; Frances Hayward; Margo McNabb and James L. Nederlander; Elaine Sargent; Martha Schulman; Deborah Wood; and AOL's Tom Wlodkowski.
The event's Gala Committee included Muffie Potter Aston, Janna Bullock, Sharon Bush, Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen, Alvin Deutsch, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, A. James Forbes, Michelle Marie and Jon L. Heinemann, Grace and Chris Meigher, Andrea Stark and Jill and Robert Zarin. Other guests included model Carmen Dell'Orefice, Bud Rosenthal - NY Events Committee Chair; author and attorney Arlene Dubin, "Gangs of New York" screenwriter Jay Cocks, actresses Sylvia Miles, Celia Weston and Verna Bloom, artist Hunt Slonem, actor/director Mitchell Lichtenstein, New York Events, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Director Patrick Harrison and the NY Dept. of Education's Steven Gilroy.
In the room were many members of the Board of Directors, which includes: Roger O. Goldman, Chairman; Tara A. Cortes, President and CEO; William M. Duncan, Treasurer; Tom Gimbel, Zita Davisson, Richard Feinbloom, Stephanie Goldman-Pittel, Arlene R. Gordon, Frances Hesselbein, Jordan S. Kassalow, OD, Jonathan M. Lewis Joel B. Mounty Enid Nemy Dorothy M. Philips, PhD, Nancy Pouch, Barbara Munder Riordan, Laine Siklos, Peter Slatin, Marty Glick, and Phyllis White-Thorne.
One of the programs that will benefit from the event is the Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School, which was founded in 1913, and provides the highest quality music instruction to youngsters and adults, including professional musicians, who are visually impaired. The Music School encourages people to explore their creative talents, prepare for performances and reap the benefits of lifelong musical learning. A highlight of the evening was a performance by the music students led by Dr. Leslie Jones, Director of the Music School and the release of the school's first CD, "A Musical Tapestry," which includes jazz, folk songs, popular tunes and a selection from the classical repertoire.
There was a live auction of such sensational packages as Vive la France: A deluxe trip to Paris and Cognac and A Musical Bonanza: A first-class trip to Jazz Aspen Snowmass, tickets to hot Broadway shows, the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall, a guitar signed by Billy Joel and much more. The Theme of the evening was Music of Winternight, as the title state. The event was produced by Inez Weinstein Special events. Designer David Tutera incorporated musical whimsies everywhere you looked, from notes hanging on trees to G-Clefs in the flowers.
Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed health care services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Through services, education, research and advocacy, the Lighthouse enables people with low vision and blindness to enjoy safe, independent and productive lives. For more information about vision loss, its causes and what you can do about it, contact Lighthouse International at 1-800-829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org