On Tuesday, October 7, 2014, the Blue Horizon Charitable Foundation (BHCF), a recognized 501 (c) (3) organization, hosted its third annual fundraising gala at Gotham Hall in New York. The Gatsby-themed event was attended by more than 150 people.
The BHCF team and its host committee gathered with all of their supporters, friends, and those looking to support a worthy cause for an evening of fine foods, cocktails, entertainment, and an opportunity to learn more about the foundation and its mission. Guests from around the world were in attendance, including scientists, economists, doctors, lawyers, philanthropists, athletes, singers, and film/TV celebrities. Chairman, Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon Dr. Brian Mehling, CEO John Ferguson, COO Doreen Santora, President and Co-Founder Eddie Amarante, Dr. Doncheng Wu, a stem cell scientist based in China, Patty Hillkirk, Founder and Executive Director of Camp Dreamcatcher, Italian singer Nadia Lanfranconi, and representatives from the Sean Kimmerling Testicular Cancer Foundation were among some of the guests who attended the gala event.
The evening began with cocktails and an hors d’oeuvres reception, followed by a welcome from Eileen Craft, Mistress of Ceremonies. After an elegant sit-down dinner and presentations the guests enjoyed silent and live auctions with items including “An Evening with Derek Jeter,” “Top Chef in Home Experience,” “One Week at the Villa in Cannes,” “Sunday’s Final Round of the Masters,” “Hamptons Hideaway, Southampton, NY,” “Rao’s Chef in your Home,” “A Week in the City,” and “Silver Oak Wine Experience.” There was also various sport’s memorabilia autographed by legends such as NY Yankees David Wells, Don Larson and David Cone, Mariano Rivera, Tiger Woods, Mickey Mantle, NY Giant Eli Manning, and many others.
The evening’s entertainment included David Raleigh, lauded by Time Out Magazine as the “Nat King Cole” for a new generation and Sarah Charness, who captivated the audience with her vivacious performance and the vibrant sound of her trademark hot pink, six-string electric violin. Guests danced the night away to the tunes of DJ Marc Vano, an Amsterdam-based entertainer. Additionally, Anish Shah , a New York-based comedian performed his award-winning act.
The guest speaker was Patty Hillkirk, founder and executive director of Camp Dreamcatcher, an organization dedicated to providing resources for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. “We are very grateful for all the help that BHCF has provided us over the years. We appreciate our partnership and look forward to working together for many years to come,” said Ms. Hillkirk.
Dr. Mehling stated, “We want to thank everyone who partnered with us on our journey to help people across the globe. For without you, our organization would not be able to provide the resources, raise the awareness, or provide the treatments that have touched and changed so many lives. There is a bright future ahead of us and together, we will continue to enhance the lives of so many people.”
The Blue Horizon Charitable Foundation is a recognized 501 (c) (3) organization, dedicated to increasing the awareness of global inequalities in healthcare, as well as providing charitable medical care and education to adults and children in impoverished areas. The foundation raises capital in order to support medical centers and clinics by providing medicines vital to basic human survival, by performing advanced medical treatments otherwise not accessible to certain geographic regions, and to finance research and development in stem cell therapies and cellular regenerative medicine. BHCF also supports children around the world who have been orphaned as a result of disease and/or war. In order to raise awareness of these situations, BHCF produces documentary films that bring much needed attention to the plight of those with limited or no access to healthcare. The provision of these resources to less developed areas enables the medically underserved to benefit from high quality care and treatment. For more information please visit www.bluehorizonfoundation.org.
