New York – Last night, New York’s social elite donned their best white and yellow looks to celebrate midsummer at the Moxy Hotel’s ‘Fleur Room’ in the Chelsea flower district. The sold out event hosted by the newly formed Young Professional Council, created to support Denise Rich’s Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, exceeded all fundraising goals, with proceeds benefitting children with cancer. A host of famous faces enjoyed a spectacular performance by America’s Got Talent finalist Johnny Manuel, while New York DJs Coco Robert and Celeste Greenberg set the dance floor alight as guests revelled in an enchanted garden of flowers and live art performances, wearing floral crowns and sipping bespoke cocktails at the top of the new Moxy Hotel.
The gala was the first event hosted by the newly formed GAF Young Professional Council, whose goal is to host immersive experiences and events to raise crucial funds for research into cancer. Proceeds raised from the council’s inaugural event will benefit the Foundation’s music therapy programs.
Thomas E. Pierce II, Chimere Cisse, Alexander Ulvsgard, Julija Nikonovaite and Hugh Barton chaired the sold out event. YouTube star Twan Kuyper emceed the evening withperformances by Johnny Manuel, DJ Celeste Greenberg, and DJ Coco Robert. Honoree Andrew Warren along with VIP guests including Joy Corrigan, Jessica Markowski, Alyssa Riley, Courtney Pizzimenti, Michon Vanas, Pritika Swarup, Vlada Rosakayova, Elizabeth Tisch, Karla Azevedo, Thamika Morais, Meki Saldana, Karina Hoffman, Valeria Dmitrienko, Emma Downey, Douglas Joseph, Vlada Roslyakova, Elise Johnson, Connor Kennedy, Danielle Naftali, Bobby Penny, and Ava Dash were in attendance. Host Committee members included Ayaan Ahmed, Zakiya Ansley, Alex Assouline, Neal Batra, Brendan Brown, Jacob Busch, Justin Galloway, Rebecca Hackl, Kim Hoedeman, Natalie Jackson, Connor Kennedy, Serena Kerrigan, Twan Kuyper, Anna Lundblad, Anastassia Lysenko, Lidiya Maltseva, Ilana Maskin, Makenzie Moon, Danielle Naftali, Michael Pascal, Julian Polak, Anna Pyatibratova, Eline Syrdalen and Anna Zege.
Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research funds the best and brightest junior investigators whose research focuses on finding less toxic treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood cancers. Since its inception in 1996, the Foundation has funded more than $35 million dollars in grants making it one of the largest non-governmental sources of grant support to blood cancer research in the nation. On average, ninety-two cents of every dollar raised directly funds research.
