Our sixth annual Tribute to Families gala, was held the evening of Monday, October 22nd at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. It was a memorable event, co-chaired by our dedicated board members, Alice Netter and Martha Fling. Nearly 300 guests gathered to make the evening a great success, helping the Ackerman Institute reach and surpass the event’s fundraising goal.
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| Martha Fling and Alice Netter, Gala Co-Chairs | Natalie Morales, host for the evening | Auctioneer C. Hugh Hildesley | Tribute to Families Gala at the Waldorf Astoria |
Among our guests were members of our board of directors, our colleagues, their families and their friends. The evening was hosted by Natalie Morales, News Anchor of NBC News’ TODAY and Co-Host of the third hour. C. Hugh Hildesley, Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s, expertly presided over our live auction, and Chris Gillespie, from the renowned Carlyle Hotel, provided musical ambiance with his signature blend of classical and jazz music.
Several press and celebrities took a special interest in our event this year: Lori Sokol of The Huffington Post, Cheryl Wills of NY1 News, Tamsen Fadal, anchor at WPIX News, Timothy Mandala of The Ropes, Wendy Diamond, correspondent on The Today Show, and Stacey Tisdale from Need to Know, and noted photojournalist, Javier Gomez.
Martha Fling presented the Ackerman Distinguished Service Award to Baron Davis, a two-time NBA All-Star Veteran Point Guard, to honor his work with young people through his 12-year old foundation, Rising Stars of America. Read more about this honor…
Board Chair, John O’Neill, presented the Ackerman Corporate Partner Award to Gregory T. Rogers of RayLign Advisory, LLC, for the company’s commitment to helping families build solid and trusting relationships. Read more about this honor…
We are deeply grateful to our family of friends and supporters for coming together to celebrate the work of the Ackerman Institute for the Family. Our 2012 Tribute to Families gala was a great deal of fun and an outstanding success.