The 15th Annual Hamptons Happening to benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation occurred on July 13, 2019 in Bridgehampton, NY at the estate of Maria & Ken Fishel. 

As the Development Manager for SWCRF, this chef-tasting cocktail fundraiser is one of my main responsibilities and after a full 12 months of planning, working with 27 different chefs and restaurants, 13 different liquor/beverage sponsors, 42 in-kind & auction donors, this year it was even bigger and better than in the past. We had about 300 attendees and raised a record-breaking $450,000 for cancer research. This year we honored celebrity chef and Emmy-Awarding Winning cooking show host Lidia Bastianich and generations of the Bastianich family; Ian Duke, legendary owner of five restaurants in Southampton and New York City including Southampton Social Club and Union Cantina; business honoree, Antonella Bertello, real estate entrepreneur and owner of the historic The Baker House 1650 boutique hotel in East Hampton; and iconic womenswear designer Nicole Miller as fashion honoree.

Our attendees enjoyed more than three dozen food, wine and spirit tastings representing some of the favorite five-star culinary destinations around the world including Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.  Dessert stations sweetened the night with favorites such as Baked by Melissa hand-crafted mini cupcakes, Kurly Kürtősh chimney cakes (my personal favorite), and Nutella, which served its famous hazelnut cocoa spread over freshly baked banana bread and topped in hazelnuts.

One of my favorite parts of my job is working with these chefs and restaurants from both New York City & The Hamptons to work together and pull off an amazing fundraiser that  makes a difference for cancer research. 

Learn more about the event here and check out the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation: http://waxmancancer.org/hamptons

Media Alert below. For more info visit www.waxmancancer.org

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation(SWCRF) celebrated the 21st Anniversary of the annual Collaborating for a Cure Benefit Dinner & Auction at Cipriani Wall Street, featuring an exclusive musical performance by Dawes. The annual gala raised approximately $2.5 million to support the SWCRF “Invest in Research” efforts that fund highly collaborative research projects focused on eradicating cancer. The Collaborating for a Cure gala was well-attended, undeterred by the snow storm and 14 other fundraising events taking place throughout New York City. Proudly, the 21st Anniversary’s gala seating encompassed 80% personal purchases and 20% purchases from corporations, whereas the other 14 fundraising events saw a turnout comprised of 20% personal purchases and 80% corporate purchases.

​After a lively cocktail reception and silent auction,SWCRF Collaborating for a Cure Gala host Michael Nierenberg greeted the foundation’s board, staff, and the evening’s guests with a warm welcome graciously outlining over 20 years of giving and continued support from the organization’s donors. From the CBS 2 News studio, co-anchor Chris Wragge emerged on screen to introduce SWCRF founder and CEO Dr. Samuel Waxman to the stage. Chris Wragge was the evening’s virtual host, appearing on screen to help the evening’s program run smoothly.


Greeting the room of distinguished guests, Dr. Waxman acknowledged their efforts trekking through New York City’s winter storm in true altruistic spirit. Detailing the Foundation’s major achievements, he highlights advancements in cancers involving the liver, breast, leukemia, pediatric and lung. The SWCRF has seen great momentum since officially launching the Partnerships for Aging and Cancer Researchprogram, a collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging which is spearheading research to uncover the links between cancers. Research funded by the program studied the environmental and genetic factors that increase the risk of cancer as people age. With a formidable but truly feasible goal of building a $32 million fund, Dr. Waxman humbly invited donors continued support.

Taking the stage, SWCRF Executive Director William T. Sullivan instructed gala guests on how to Text to Pledge, using the mobile fundraising program which enables guests to text their donations. Each texted donation was accompanied by messages of encouragement and celebration that appeared, in real-time, on large screens throughout the evening, the first of them being a $5,000 gift, “In honor of Michael Nierenberg” from Thomas Shea.

Keeping up the momentum, the evening’s live auction, led by Hugh Hildesley, Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s, featured luxury items and experiences including: a Palm Bay Italy Winery experienceincluding a six-day stay for four guests which raised$20,000; two house seats to “Springsteen on Broadway” raised $14,000; also Restaurateur Donna Lennard of il Buco Vita welcomes 10-14 guests for an intimate six-course dinner at the home décor showroom, raising $11,000. Other auction items included a Cockapoo Puppy (winning bid of $7,000), a shopping spree at John Varvatos SoHo Boutique(winning bid of $4,000) and a meet-and-greet with the evening’s musical guests, Dawes, who also autographed a guitar for the lucky winner (winning bidof $3,500).

The money raised in support of cancer research at theSamuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation's Institute Without Walls and Aging and Cancer Programs have made significant breakthroughs, including identifying pathways to deliver novel therapies to treat cancer. The Collaborating for a Cure gala is among the top fundraising events in New York City, and this year featured an exclusive headline performance from the rock band, Dawes – the only NYC stop as part of their North American tour. With ‘An Evening With DAWES: Passwords Tour’ well on its way, Dawes made an exclusive stop at the gala in honor of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation.

The 20th Annual Waxman Gala took place at Cipriani Wall Street on November 16, 2017. As an employee of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, it was humbling and inspiring to see more then 800 attendees come together to Invest in Cancer Research over a delicious meal catered by Cipriani and concert by the Avett Brothers. Overall the evening raised $2.5 million for Cancer Research.

I was also able to work with more then two dozen dedicated and hard-working volunteers. The group encouraged attendees to bid on our silent auction, hosted by Charity Stars and were helpful sets of eyes for our live auction.

The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) hosted its 15th Annual Strolling Supper on November 8, 2017 at Gotham Hall to raise funds for lung cancer research. The evening hosted over 300 attendees who came together with the mission of making a difference. There were dozens of auction items available for bidding and supporters were encouraged to donate $100 to fund one hour of lung cancer research. The LCF has granted $34 million, the highest amount of funding provided by a lung cancer research organization to date.

It was announced that as of September 30, 2017 the LCRF has merged with Free 2 Breathe, a nation-wide grassroots effort to fund lung cancer research. Together these organizations focus on the shared mission of improving lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.

To make a difference and donate to lung cancer research, visit their website here.

Alice & Olivia hosted the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation at their Madison Ave store for a day of shopping for a cause. The store was abuzz with customers drinking champagne, snacking on delicious branded macarons by Dena’s Bakery and snapping cute polorid pictures!

Learn more about the work SWCRF does in the field of cancer research on their website and view upcoming fundraisers & ways to give back.

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I am beyond honored to work for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, a national 501(c)3 dedicated to raising funds for cancer research. This year we hosted our 13th Annual Hamptons Happening on August 5, 2017. Twenty five chefs donated their time and materials to host 250 attendees for a night of cocktails, food and music performed by Rufus Wainwright & Sophie Beem. After a silent, live and reverse auction we raised about $420,000 for cancer research. 

The 2017 Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation Golf Tournament was a huge success! Over 90 golfers showed up in support of funding cancer research for the 35th year and raised more than $200,000.  The tournament took place at The Creek in Locust Valley, New York in Nassau County, The course is located on the Long Island Sound and offered stunning views of the water with a breathtaking sunset. 

What an amazing evening. More than 450 Good Cookies gather at Metropolitan West in NYC to raise $1.2 million for childhood cancer research. This was a bittersweet evening as it was my last event working for Cookies for Kids' Cancer, an amazing but small organization making a global impact in the world of pediatric cancer research. The evening centered around a 5-course dinner for 40 tables cooked on site using donated Samsung stoves by 20 of the top chefs in Manhattan including Bobby Flay, Shane McBride, Dan Kluger, James Kent and more. 

For more information visit the Chefs for Kids' Cancer website. 

The 2nd annual Chefs for Kids' Cancer - the Carolinas took place in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Fillmore Underground. This cocktail event had to be rescheduled because the original date was the day of the North Carolina riots. All vendors and guests rallied after the riots and came together to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research. 

Learn more about future Chefs for Kids' Cancer events in North Carolina here. 

That's a wrap!! My first gala event that I was intimately a part of all of the nitty gritty details. This year marked the 3rd annual Chefs for Kids' Cancer gala to benefit Cookies for Kids' Cancer to fund pediatric cancer research. The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour and continued to a 5-course sit-down dinner cooked on site by 20 of NYC's finest chefs including Bobby Flay (!!) and Dan Kluger, Eli Kameh and more. Overall, the event raised $1.1 million and by the end of the evening, there was not a dry eye or empty stomach in the house!