NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital raised nearly $2 million at the 12th Plates for Pediatrics benefit. A collaboration with luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, the benefit drew more than 500 attendees to Cipriani South Street at Casa Cipriani.
The benefit was hosted by Dr. Sallie Permar, pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, along with celebrity chairs Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann; and co-chairs: Michelle Antonini, Robin Chaus, Kate Davis, Breanna Khoury, Molly Knauer, Lindsay Kraus, Lizzie Livingston, Candice Miller, Colby Podolsky, Erica Samuels, Mariel Kriss Sholem, Alyssa Varadhan, Lesley Vecsler, and Nancy Walker.
“Plates for Pediatrics is a celebration of NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital’s outstanding pediatric care and our young patients and their families,” said Dr. Permar. “We are grateful to our donors for their generous support as we provide world-class, compassionate care and improve the health of children in the communities we serve.”
“As part of Saks' long-standing partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, we are honored to support the 12th annual Plates for Pediatrics benefit," said Emily Essner, chief marketing officer at Saks. “We are proud to see how the funds raised from this event continue to make an outsized impact on the hospital year after year.”
“The team at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital saved our son’s life,” said Patricia Evans-Rodriguez, whose son, Aiden, now eight, had brain surgery in June 2023 to treat a complex, rare brain tumor. “Our hope for his future is that he continues to grow, and learn, and we are so grateful for the care that has made this possible.”
The event raised funds for several hospital-based pediatric programs, including Child Life Services, a program that helps alleviate children’s fears surrounding the hospital experience by offering activities geared to the social, emotional, and educational needs of young patients and their families; the Pediatric Simulation Center, an invaluable teaching resource in medical education that reduces medical errors, creates a culture of patient safety, and improves patient care; Care for Children with Complex Medical Needs, which expands multi-specialty care teams and coordination programs that serve children who need a higher level of care; Residency Education, a three-year pediatric residency program designed to provide a supportive and educationally rich environment through which residents can develop into outstanding general pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, and physician scientists; and Pediatric Mental Health, a program that trains pediatricians to work alongside mental health providers to recognize, treat, and prevent mental health issues in children of all ages.
Guests included Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer, chair of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees; Charlotte and William P. Carey, member of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees; Kate and Andrew Davis, member of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees; and Harrison LeFrak, member of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees.
Other notable guests included John Antonini, Allison Aston, Matt Brown, Beth and Nathan Cayre, Sana Clegg, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Jenna Crespi, Merrill Curtis, Natasha de Mallmann, Evette and Scott Ferguson, Melanie Fowler, Stephanie Gottlieb, Marcella Hymowitz, Carola Jain, John Khoury, Beth Kojima, Hilary Matt, Amory McAndrew, Brandon Miller, Marcie and Jordan Pantzer, Nicole Hanley Pickett, Marielle and Edmond Safra, Joseph Samuels, Jamie Sholem, Priya Shukla, Daniela Tisch, Alexandra and Michael Toccin, Gina Wettlaufer Tomenson, Amanda Waldron, Naomi Waletzky and Rowan Hajaj, George Walker, Elizabeth Winter, and Tanya Zuckerbrot. Lydia Fenet served as the evening’s auctioneer.