Fundraising Season In NYC

Last night I attended the Orthopaedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles 6th anniversary Gala and one of the honorees was Dr. Jim Andrews of Abracadabra and Health South and Aloha Challenge for the 2000 America’s Cup fame. The dinner was eclectic John McEnroe was there to present an award to Mayor Dinkins and McEnroe is a funny irreverent individual! It is also pretty cool what he is doing with his Tennis Academy on Randall’s Island. Lyn St. James, Donna deVarona and Wendy Hilliard were there representing the foundation as well as themselves. For music John Oates of Hall and Oates played a set. By that time the dinner was over.

Speaking of dinner, Emeril Lagasse was onsite and provided a spectacular ‘bone healthy’ meal. Spinach, hearts of palm, some kind of a special roasted almonds with a bit of crème fraich, honey and a hint of spice for the salad. A root vegetable and lump crabmeat soup that I couldn’t eat because I’m allergic to crab, but it still smelled wonderful. The main course was a seared salmon over a be of collard greens and a tomato coulis followed by a trio of crème brulee. My favorite was the coffee. There were also wine pairings to accompany each course. But for some reason the glasses never got any less full. I blame it on very attentive personnel.

There were a LOT of auction items both silent and live. I had a bit of fun and bid on a room design by HGTV’s Jamie Durie. He is the little hottie Aussie who hosts ‘the Outdoor Room’. Well turns out I won. Other items that were NOT in my price range – an Alpha Romeo which went for $180,000 yikes!

As one does we went out for a cleansing beverage and found the most amazing hotel rooftop bar. Ink 48 hotel at 11th Ave and 48th I highly recommend the bar. It was a lovely, unseasonable warm evening and beautiful with the humid fog reflecting the lights of the city and I bet that in the summer it would be off the hook fun.