American Cancer Society CEO Don Distasio, Kris Kim, Diana Feldman, Maureen
Fitzgerald and Karen Radwin.
The American
Cancer Society feted Diana K. Feldman at
their annual Celebration of Life gala on Wednesday, May 7 at the
St. Regis Hotel. The evening titled “Up, Up and Away”,
recognized Feldman's 32 years of volunteer work along with
her post as chairmen of the volunteer special events committee by
honoring her with their 2008 humanitarian award.
The evening began on the St. Regis Roof with cocktails and fancy hor dourves. When
the room was just getting filled to capacity, everyone was escorted into the
banquet hall that was decorated wall to wall with festive floral centerpieces
with photos of Diana from her journey through life. The welcome began with Charlotte
Ford and Mary Beth Stevenson who got creative and to
the tune of “Maria” from West Side Story, performed a song about
Diana with a solo surprise from her husband, Richard. Then Richard presented
Diana with a heartfelt speech followed by her award and a special dinner of chicken
pot pie, her favorite.
Dining and dancing continued with a performance by Grammy award winning jazz
singer/composer Ann Hampton Callaway and the Bob Hardwick orchestra
until 13-year-old Matt Davis took the mic. Matt is now
a healthy cancer survivor who was invited to share his incredible story and came
with his family to sell balloons of various donation prices to help raise money
for Hope Lodge and Camp Adventure, two very important projects for the ACS. The
Davis family helped raise upwards of $35,000 that night.
Proceeds from this major fundraising event will benefit American Cancer Society
research, advocacy, education, and patient-service programs. The benefit chairs
for this evening included Charlotte Ford, Susan Bloomberg, Marilena Greif,
and Mary Beth Stevenson. Other attendees were the Benefit co-chairs Linda and Steven
Levy, Joseph Cohen, Wendy and Lou Hornick, Suzanne Mados, Lily
Safra, Jeanne and Herb Siegel and Jacqueline and Albert
Togut.
Guests also included CEO, Don Distasio; COO of the Eastern Division, Kris
Kim; vice president of Manhattan Region, Maureen Fitzgerald and
the executive director of Hope Lodge NYC, Karen Radwin. Seated
at tables were Dan and Cynthia Lufkin, who
just received the ACS award for Mother of the Year this past February, Barbara and Marty
Zweig, Joseph M. Cohen, Kathy and Richard S. Fuld, Jr., Janet
Salz, Diana's sons Jamie Harpel with his wife Carmen
Hald and Anthony Harpel with his wife Lisa
Harpel,Michael and Sue Levy, Joan Barber, Mr. and Mrs. Allen
Marantz, Debra and Dennis Okain, Ted Rosenthal, Ellen Saltzman and Ralph
Destino, Melanie and Andrew Kule, Frank and Kate
Bistrian, Tony Manning, Jim Mitchell Dr. Stewart, Anne Ford, and Janice and Jimmy
Cummings.
Diana Feldman, Mary Beth Stevenson and Charlotte Ford.
Allen and Susan Levy and Steven and Linda Levy.
The Davis Family.
Ann Hampton Callaway and Ted Rosenthal.
Ellen Saltzman and Ralph Destino.
Dan and Cynthia Lufkin.
Don and Kathy Distasio.
Debra and Dennis Okain.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Marantz.
Jean Shamiral.
Richard and Diana Feldman, Jamie and Anthony Harpel.
