John Colabelli, Jeff Benjamin, Garrett Snider, Marc Vetri

On Wednesday, January 21, the Garrett Getlin Snider Foundation, the Vetri Foundation for Children and Philadelphia’s top VIPs, philanthropists and chefs gathered at the Rittenhouse Hotel for a very special evening hosted by Garrett Snider, to benefit Vetri Foundation for Children. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while learning about the Vetri Foundation’s “Eatiquette” program. “Eatiquette” helps schools provide healthy, scratch made meals while working within the federal guidelines for the National School Lunch Program. Students eat family style, allowing them to practice life skills such as teamwork, communication, manners and portion control while receiving fresh, nutritious lunches; For more information, visit www.vetrifoundation.org. Read the rest of this entry »

Lucy Morillo, Criselda Breene, Dr. Kini, Sofial Joelsson, Calora Pimentel, & Cassie Preston

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Champagne wishes, caviar dreams and the best truffle risotto delighted well-heeled (pun intended) Miami influencers and socialites at the highly-anticipated Wine, Women & Shoes Kick-off party benefiting Miami Children’s Health Foundation which took place on Saturday, December 13, 2014.

The glamorous event was hosted by renowned interior designer, Sofia Joelsson on the gorgeous rooftop of her penthouse home in South Beach to celebrate the upcoming 4th Annual Wine, Women & Shoes presented by Sergio Rossi, which is scheduled for February 4, at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami.

The event served as a backdrop for chairs Carola Pimentel and Criselda Breene to announce Sergio Rossi as this year’s High Heel Presenting Sponsor. Read the rest of this entry »

Phyllis Sudman

Plymouth Meeting resident Phyllis Sudman has been named the 2014 National Woman of Worth by L’Oréal Paris for her outstanding work with Simon’s Fund, a nonprofit she co-founded after losing her 3-month-old son, Simon, to an undetected heart condition. The Fund raises awareness about the warning signs and conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children.

Over 3,400 were nominated for this honor. Ten were selected as honorees, and one was chosen as the National Woman of Worth. The Honorees were celebrated on December 2, at a star-studded event held at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Each of the 10 women were introduced by someone special – Eva Longoria, Mike Brzezinski, Andie MacDowell, Julianne Moore, Hoda Kotb, Blake Lively and others. Phyllis was introduced by actress and Allentown native Aimee Mullins.

As the 2014 National Woman of Worth, Phyllis will receive $35,000 for Simon’s Fund. She will also join a long list of distinguished women, including Risa Ferman, Montgomery County District Attorney, who have held this esteemed title.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the L’Oréal Paris 2014 National Woman of Worth for the work I am doing to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and death in children,” said Phyllis Sudman, co-founder of Simon’s Fund. “The money will help us check hearts and save lives, but the relationships I made will last a lifetime. Sharing the stage, laughter and tears with the nine other courageous and selfless women who are making their communities a better place was the real prize.”

“Each year, we are moved and inspired by the thousands of powerful stories we receive through the Women of Worth nomination process. These women are wielding their passion to make an incredible impact on their communities, and beyond,” said L’Oréal Paris President, Karen T. Fondu. “The 2014 Women of Worth honorees are heroic, fearless and true changemakers who deserve to be celebrated, and their stories elevated, to inspire more women to make a difference in the lives of others.”

About Simon’s Fund

Simon’s Fund raises awareness about the warning signs and conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children. It has provided free heart screenings to over 10,000 students. Of those tested, approximately 100 students have discovered potentially fatal heart conditions. It was behind the passage of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act in Pennsylvania, the first law in the country to protect student athletes from sudden cardiac arrest. With the help of Simon’s Fund, this law has been passed in five other states as well. The organization recently launched HeartBytes, the first-of-its-kind youth cardiac registry for seemingly healthy kids in an effort to promote research.

By: Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Arguably the best party of the year, the 20th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, an elegant “Oz Reimagined”-themed gala, took place on Saturday, November 1, welcoming nearly 1,000 guests, who gathered to dine, dance and donate to one of the worthiest causes: the Make-A-Wish foundation. The highlight of the glamorous celebration, was a thrilling concert by the “Queen of Motown,” Diana Ross- the most outstanding performance we’ve seen at a party since Donna Summer performed at Destination Fashion in 2007 (this writer’s first official social column for The SunPost). Ross, dazzling in a red, bejeweled halter pantsuit, wrapped in red organza, entered the stage singing “I’m Coming Out” and had guests enthralled as she performed other chart-topping hits such as,”Baby Love,” “Upside Down,” “Do You Know,” “Stop-in the Name of and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” And while Ross’ performance was the crown jewel of the Ball, there was plenty of glittery goodness leading up to the concert. From the gold carpet, to the cocktail reception filled with culinary delights created by InterContinental Miami Executive Chef Alexander Feher, including seafood served on an ice bar shaped like the trees from OZ, to the premier items at the Ball’s silent auction, and special appearances by Dorothy and her crew, the Wicked Witch and Glenda and the “Voice of Oz” that summoned revelers to the Main Ballroom for dinner- the night was filled with the enchantment we’ve come to expect from the unparalleled Make A Wish Ball. Inside the Ballroom, guests were captivated by both the splendor of the room’s white-on-white decor and the beauty and wit of Gabrielle Anwar, who returned for the fourth consecutive year as Celebrity Emcee and Auctioneer. In what has become a Ball tradition, Gabrielle and fiancé,  Ball Chair, Shareef Malnik opened the night’s festivities with a creative dramatic moment. This year’s involved Gabrielle engaged in steamy dialogue with a faceless “Oz” – actually the voice of  Shareef — who eventually revealed himself, emerging from underneath the voluminous skirt of Gabrielle’s emerald green ball gown, eliciting a roar of laughter from the room and setting the stage for the more serious task of raising money for Wishes. A touching moment came courtesy of South Florida Wish recipient Nicole Graziano, who sang a touching rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Read the rest of this entry »

Just in time for the summer and “lemonade season,” Philadelphia will once again prove that it’s the City of Brotherly Love by helping Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) commemorate 10 years since founder Alexandra “Alex” Scott challenged volunteers everywhere to help her raise $1 million for childhood cancer research, one cup of lemonade at a time. To continue Alex’s legacy, volunteers, sponsors and supporters across the area will join the fight against childhood cancer during the National Lemonade Days Initiative, June 6 through 8. Whether it’s hosting an Alex’s Lemonade Stand, attending one of the Foundation’s signature events or supporting the Foundation through visiting one of its many sponsor fundraisers, the Philadelphia area will be taken over by ways to help cure childhood cancer. 

National Lemonade Days

From Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8, thousands of volunteers will host Alex’s Lemonade Stands from coast to coast during National Lemonade Days in an effort to raise $1 million for the kids’ cancer fight. Utilizing founder Alex Scott’s original fundraising idea, the stands will provide a fun and easy way for supporters of all ages to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer while learning the important lesson of giving back. 

June 2014 will mark 10 years since Alex challenged the nation to help her raise $1 million toward finding cures for all kids with cancer, one cup of lemonade at a time. Though Alex would ultimately lose her life to the disease that same summer (August 1, 2004), she would do so with the knowledge that she had reached her goal and laid the groundwork for her mission to continue. 

For those not able to host a lemonade stand, ALSF’s website allows visitors to search for events by zip code, event name, or host name: www.AlexsLemonade.org/search/alex_search

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Tracy Wilson Mourning and her Honey Bugs Shine

More than 600 stylish ladies, all in sensational hats, recently gathered for the annual Hats Off Lunch at Jungle Island which boasted the colorful retro theme:  “Peace, Love, Honeyshine.”  During the welcome reception, the ladies bid on coveted silent auction items, and posed in the red carpet photo booth before enjoying a seemingly endless buffet. The always-charming, award-winning journalist, Louis Aguirre, news anchor with WSVN TV Fox 7 and DECO Drive co-host, who looked dashing in a fedora, flattered the ladies as soon as he took the stage- drawing roaring applause from the audience.  Aguirre introduced Honey Shine’s Honey Bugs, Yolanda Jiron, 18, and Quanthavia Stalworth, 17, now college-bound, who shared their personal stories of success and served as Mistresses of Ceremonies.  Honey Shine founder, Tracy Wilson Mourning joined the ladies on-stage and gave a touching and tearful account of her personal involvement with Honey Shine, which dates back to her childhood. Read the rest of this entry »