Shall We Dance?

Benefits Raise Funds for Research

The Grand Ballroom of the Pierre Hotel in New York City swirled with a cascade of elegantly-gowned women and smartly-tuxedoed men as 360 friends, supporters, scientists and people living with Parkinson’s came together on Tuesday, April 2 for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation’s annual gala, Bal du Printemps.

The evening began with cocktails in The Cotillion Room. Celebrities such as Kathie Lee Gifford, Lynn Redgrave and Walter Cronkite mingled with members of the PDF Board and representatives of colleague organizations such as the Parkinson Alliance, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, We Move, Parkinson’s Unity Walk, the Parkinson’s Action Network and the American Parkinson Disease Association.

Also present was a delegation from the Miami-based National Parkinson Foundation which is in merger talks with PDF. The group consisted of Mr. & Mrs. Harold Kravitz; Jose Garcia Pedrosa and his wife, Judge Shelley Kravitz; Dr. Abraham Lieberman; and Mr. Daniel Arty. Mr. Nathan Slewett, Chairman of NPF’s Board of Directors, was unable to attend, but forwarded these words of support: “Since I cannot be with you in person to celebrate your wonderful gala, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you and wish you every success!”

One of the three honorees of the evening was Lillian Goldman, a philanthropist whose interests include not only the advancement of Parkinson’s research but also education and the arts. The others were co-recipients of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine: Paul Greengard, Ph.D. of Rockefeller University, New York City, and Arvid Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D. from Sweden. CBS News correspondent, Morley Safer, rendered a deft and witty performance as the Master of Ceremonies.

The evening was a marvelous success, raising some $318,000 (net of expenses) to further the research efforts of the PDF.

Congratulations were many for the heroic leaders and members of the PDF Board: Page Morton Black (Chair); Isobel Robins Konecky (Secretary); and Sandra Feagan Stern.

L-R: Kathie Lee Gifford & Lynn Redgrave during cocktails.

L-R: Morley Safer, Gala Emcee, with PDF Executive Director, Robin Anthony Elliott.

L-R: Morley Safer & Drs. Paul Greengard, Stanley Fahn (PDF’s Scientific Director) & Arvid Carlsson.

National Parkinson Foundation

On Saturday, February 2, the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) held its benefit event, The Bal Masque, at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort in Miami Beach, FL.

Over 500 guests attended the fundraiser, which this year honored Mr. Nathan Slewett, the Foundation’s Chairman. Special awards were also presented to four individuals in recognition of their many actions in behalf of Parkinson’s research. These were Dr. Bernard Fogel, Dean Emeritus of the University of Miami School of Medicine, who received the Jeanne Levey Visionary Award; Paul Oreffice, Vice Chairman of the NPF (the Lifetime Achievement Award); Dr. Abraham Lieberman, NPF’s Medical Director (the Medical Excellence Award); and Dr. Deborah Mash, Professor of Neurology, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Miami (the Professional Leadership Award).

Robin Anthony Elliott, Executive Director of the PDF, who attended the event along with several members of the PDF Board, said of the event: “We are indeed pleased to join our friends in honoring these distinguished individuals who have done so much to benefit the Parkinson’s effort.”

L-R: Gala Awardees: Herbert Zemel, Dr. Bernard Fogel, Deidre Hall, Paul Oreffice, Nathan Slewett, Dr. Deborah Mash, Dr. Abraham Lieberman.

L-R: Sheila Slewett-Gala Co-Chair, Nathan Slewett, Janet Malamud-Gala Dinner Underwriter, Edy Kay-Gala Co-Chair.

L-R: Herbert Zemel, Nathan Slewett, Paul Oreffice, Carole & Barry Kaye.

L-R: Dr. Bernard Fogel, Dr. William Koller, Dr. Walter Bradley, PDF Board member Dr. Timothy Pedley.