2014 Gala Journal - Gilda`s Club Westchester

Share. Elegance. Laughter.
Gilda’s Club Westchester
Annual Comedy Gala
April 2, 2014
The mission of Gilda’s Club Westchester is to create
welcoming communities of free support for everyone living with
cancer — men, women, teens and children — along
with their families and friends.
Our innovative programs are an essential complement
to medical care, providing networking and support groups,
workshops, education and social activities.
Gilda’s Club Westchester would like to recognize
2014 Gala Partner
Amy Frolick and Brad Eric Scheler/Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP
2014 Gala Benefactors
Wendy and Scott Kleinman
Jane and James Stern
Mayo Stuntz and Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz
2014 Gala Patrons
Baker & McKenzie
Stephen and Debbie Chapin
EisnerAmper LLP
Dr. Julie and Mr. Jason Monroe
Gary and Nancy Rones
Harri V. Taranto and Sylvia J. Lavietes
2014 Gala Sponsors
Susie and Doug Fischer
Richard and Lisa Witten
2014 Gala Supporters
Wayne and Michele Benach
Susan and Glenn Rones
Marshall Cohen
Wendi and Ed Schechter
Leslie and Cindy Valk Danish
David and Linda Walke
Cheryl and Harvey Geller
Peter and Dale Wang
Jonathan and Ellen Litt
Gil and Susie Wang
Louis and Tobey Lipschitz
Linda and Ken Wiltsek
*as of March 25, 2014
Gilda’s Club Westchester
2014 Gala Committee
Gala Committee Co-Chairs
Carol Bennett
Wendi Schechter
Susie Wang
Gala Committee
Tracey Aaron
Michele Benach
Amy Frolick
Rosalind Gordon
Robin Poses Markell
Julie Monroe
Gary & Nancy Rones
Lisa Shpilberg
Cindy Valk-Danish
Gil Wang
Stacey Wechsler
Gilda’s Club Westchester
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Emeritus Board
Harri Taranto
Carol Bennett
President
Barbara Bennett-Rones*
Cindy Valk-Danish
Vice President
Bede Levinson
Robin Poses Markell
Joyce Neibart
Rosalind Gordon, Esq.
Gary A. Schnorr
Secretary
Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz
Stephen C. Chapin
Treasurer
Tracey Aaron
Susan M. Barossi
Amy Frolick
Stephanie Hollander
Laurie Thomas
Gil Wang
Susie Wang
Co-Founders
Robin Poses Markell
Susie Wang
Jonathan Litt
Julie Monroe, MD
Dru Pyne*
*In Memoriam
Gilda’s Club Westchester Staff
MELISSA LANG, DrPH, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
MIRANDA DOLD, LCSW
Director of Outreach and Program Development
LEIGH-ANN ENYAME, MS
Marketing and Communications Manager
STEPHANIE FALK
Director of Development
JUDY FREEMAN
Program Administrator
MARISSA MADONIA
Development Associate
JEN SCULLY, ATR-BC
Director of Youth Programs and Quality Improvement
ESSIE STECKLER
Program Associate
STACEY ZANONI, LMSW
Program Social Worker
Gilda’s Club Westchester
Invites you to share an evening of elegance and laughter
HONORING
Chris Mazzilli and Gotham Comedy Club
The Red Door Award
Stacy and Josh Babbitt &
Dana and Jody Rones
The Barbara Bennett-Rones Volunteer of the Year Award
&
Leslie Danish, CPA and EisnerAmper LLP
The Corporate Honoree
F E AT U R I N G
Jim Breuer
Veteran Comedian and Former Saturday Night Live Cast Member
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Jenna Wolfe
NBC Weekend Today Anchor
We are so pleased to welcome you to Gilda’s Club Westchester’s 2014 Annual
Comedy Gala. We thank you for joining us for a night of celebration and
laughter in tribute to so many people whose lives have been touched by cancer.
Your generosity this evening enables us to offer emotional support, lectures,
workshops, and social events to our members . . . completely free of charge.
This year we have much to share: we are expanding our programming in new
and innovative ways. We have added distress screening, and short term oneon-one counseling, and introduced two new time-limited workshop series –
one teaching emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills to individuals
living with cancer, and another focused on survivorship for individuals who
are post treatment. We are also continuing to grow our partnerships with
hospitals, schools and other community-based organizations so that we can
continue to meet the needs of anyone affected by cancer in our community
both in and outside of our Clubhouse.
Tonight, we are privileged to honor Chris Mazzilli, Gotham Comedy Club,
Stacy and Josh Babbitt, Dana and Jody Rones, Leslie Danish and
EisnerAmper LLP for their continued support and commitment to our mission
A special thank you to the members of our Gala Committee for all of their hard
work and contributions in organizing tonight’s special event.
Thank you for joining us this year. Your presence truly makes a difference. We
hope you enjoy this evening.
Sincerely,
Harri Taranto
President, Board of Directors
Melissa Lang
Chief Executive Officer
Chris Mazzilli and Gotham Comedy Club
The 2014 Red Door Award
Gilda’s Club Westchester is proud to recognize the hard work and dedication of Chris
Mazzilli and Gotham Comedy Club. Chris and Gotham have remained steadfast partners
since Gilda’s opened its Red Doors, helping to secure prominent talent and a well-known
venue for many fundraisers, most notably the Annual Night of Laughter event. Their
commitment to helping Gilda’s produce first-class events has been instrumental to the
success of Gilda’s Club Westchester’s fundraising efforts.
As owner of one of the nation’s premier comedy clubs, Chris Mazzilli has become an
entertainment icon of the New York City nightlife scene. In May 1996, Chris and his business
partner Mike Reisman created New York’s first hip, upscale comedy venue,
Gotham Comedy Club.
In 2006, Chris and his team brought Comedy to a new level by relocating the club to a new
larger location in Chelsea. Gotham Comedy Club is now a part of comedy history. The club
offers its patrons a warm, comfortable atmosphere with an eclectic array of comedy experiences.
Recently, Mazzilli partnered with AXS.TV to produce Gotham Comedy Live. The live stand-up
series is hosted by comedy A-listers such as Jim Breuer, DL Hughley and Artie Lange. The
weekly show is broadcast from Gotham and is now celebrating its third season.
Chris continues to be passionate about his charity work, hosting up to 75 charity shows per
year, donating thousands of tickets and the use of Gotham’s space to numerous charitable
organizations.
Stacy and Josh Babbitt &
Dana and Jody Rones
The 2014 Barbara Bennett-Rones
Volunteer of the Year Award
Throughout the years, honorees Dana and Jody Rones and Stacy and Josh Babbitt
have tirelessly volunteered their time to raise funds and awareness for Gilda’s
Club Westchester.
Siblings Jody Rones and Stacy Babbitt have co-chaired the Gilda’s Club Westchester
Annual Night of Laughter since its inception in 2007 in memory of their beloved
mother, Barbara Bennett-Rones. A founding Board member and patron, Barbara was
instrumental in the creation of Gilda’s Club Westchester and held the organization
close to her heart. As a tribute to her, Jody and Stacy have continued to grow the
event over the years, together with their respective spouses, Dana and Josh.
Recently celebrating its eighth successful year, this has become a staple event at
Gilda’s Club Westchester, helping to carry out Gilda Radner’s vision of laughter as a
component of healing. Held annually at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City, the
Annual Night of Laughter has raised over $100,000 for Gilda’s Club Westchester and
continues to draw and engage new audiences.
As the event continues to grow, so does this family. Stacy and Josh were recently
married, and Dana and Jody will be welcoming their first child in July. Both couples
reside in Manhattan.
Leslie Danish, CPA and EisnerAmper LLP
The 2014 Corporate Award
Les Danish has been actively involved with Gilda’s Club Westchester, both giving and
receiving support, since its inception. His wife Cindy is the current Vice President of the
Board of Directors, and their daughter Natasha has served on the Youth Committee for the
past three years and is an Officer of the A Cappella Concert Event Committee.
Les is a partner with EisnerAmper LLP, one of the premier accounting, tax, and business
advisory services firms in the United States. The firm provides services to public and
private companies as well as not-for-profit organizations, high net worth individuals and
closely-held companies. EisnerAmper serves companies around the world in a wide range
of industries.
Community involvement is strongly encouraged at EisnerAmper through EisnerAmper
Cares, a firm-wide initiative that supports the volunteer efforts of the firm’s employees in
their communities. Its mission is to serve those in need using the gifts of time and skills,
through charitable, civic, and environmental projects and programs. Thanks to Les’s
leadership and dedication, EisnerAmper has been a supporter of Gilda’s Club Westchester
for many years, sponsoring events such as the Gala and Golf Invitational — they also recently
held a Jeans Day fundraiser to benefit Gilda’s.
Les, Cindy and Natasha live in Rye. In addition, their daughter Sara lives in Washington,
DC; son David in Dallas, TX; and son Joshua, with daughter-in-law Kalani and grandson
Nathan, in Bloomington, IN.
Barbara Bennett-Rones*
Founding Patron and Board Member
It is with gratitude, humility and deepest respect that we once again honor the memory of
our beloved Board Member and Founding Patron, Barbara Bennett-Rones.
Daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, one to emulate, Barbara was all of these and so
much more. She touched the lives of so many with her love, wisdom and compassion.
Her contagious smile, her sound judgment and her fair-mindedness all served her well in
her chosen field, guidance.
While raising her family, volunteerism and commitment to public service were always
important aspects of Barbara’s life. She wore several hats on the Mamaroneck Board of
Education, and eventually became its President from 1998-2000. She was the recipient
of the Sunny Award, given by the LMC-TV, which honors an outstanding individual within
the community who makes a difference in other’s lives.
Perhaps closest to her heart, was Barbara's involvement with Gilda's Club Westchester.
She truly understood the importance of the psychological and social support that Gilda's
Club provides. She was determined to attract participation from those she knew, and her
effort had tremendous impact on the Club's development. Her spirit continues to be felt
in the success of Gilda's Club Westchester through her children. Both Jody and Stacy, and
their friends, have helped organize an annual comedy fundraiser and remain dedicated to
raising awareness about Gilda’s Club Westchester.
Barbara's greatest legacy is the way she lived life to the fullest. Barbara inspires the best
in all of us, and we remember her with much admiration, lasting appreciation, and
enduring love.
*In Memoriam
Jenna Wolfe
Master of Ceremonies
Jenna Wolfe serves as a Weekend TODAY Show anchor and as a
correspondent for NBC News’ Weekday TODAY, where she covers feature
stories for America’s top-rated morning news program.
Jenna spent 12 years as a sportscaster before joining the Today Show in
2007, where coincidentally she served as an intern back in college.
Her background, like her personality, is spirited… Born in Kingston,
Jamaica, and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she moved to the United
States in 1989, so her pop culture references only date back to the Cosby
Show and Michael J. Fox. She is fluent in French, Creole and Seinfeld
quotes, and can ask you where the library is in Spanish, which, by the way,
has never come in handy.
A self-proclaimed dare devil, Wolfe is also a personal trainer. But of all the
adventures she's embarked on, motherhood is by far her favorite. She gave
birth to Harper Estelle last year and she, and her partner Stephanie Gosk
have been beaming ever since.
Jim Breuer
Veteran Comedian and
Former Saturday Night Live Cast Member
With over 20 years of stand-up comedy experience, Jim Breuer remains
one of today’s top entertainers and continues to win over audiences with
his off-the-wall humor and lovable personality. Named one of Comedy
Central's "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time," Breuer is one of the most
recognizable comedians in the business, known for his charismatic stage
antics, dead-on impressions, and family-friendly stand-up.
Even as a young student at Valley Stream Central High School in Long
Island, NY, Breuer knew he wanted to be a stand-up comedian. His big
break which came in 1995 when he joined the cast of NBC’s legendary
“Saturday Night Live.” During his four years on SNL, Breuer quickly
became a fan-favorite for his original character “Goat Boy” and his deadon impressions of actor Joe Pesci.
Following his success on SNL, Breuer starred alongside Dave Chappelle in
the cult favorite film “Half Baked.” He has since appeared in the popular
films “Zookeeper,” “Dick,” “Titan A.E.” and “Beer League”. Most recently,
Breuer’s latest one hour comedy special “Jim Breuer: And Laughter for
All” premiered on Epix. Set to release on DVD this fall, Breuer grapples
with the absurdities and annoyances of finding himself a middle aged
father of three in suburban New Jersey. Throughout the years, Breuer has
supported various charities through his comedy.
Congratulations
to our
Remarkable Honorees
Chris Mazzilli and Gotham Comedy Club
The 2014 Red Door Award
Stacy and Josh Babbitt
&
Jody and Dana Rones
The 2014 Barbara Bennett-Rones Volunteer of the Year Award
and
Leslie Danish and EisnerAmper LLP
The 2014 Corporate Honorees
We truly appreciate everything you have done to enrich
Gilda’s Club Westchester for our community.
The Board of Directors
Gilda’s Club Westchester
Platinum Door Page
Wishing a hear felt cong at lations to
Stacy and Josh & Dana and Jody
In loving memor of
Barbara Benne -Rones
Dorothy Wasser"an
Doris Gershenov
and
Joseph Seibald
The Yasg r Family
Sylvia, Joey, Rachel and Jamie
Platinum Door Page
Red Door Page
Congratulations Chris
on such a prestigious award.
We’re so proud of you!
-The Mazzilli Family
Red Door Page
For Les Danish
a.k.a. Dad
a.k.a. Husband
a.k.a. Grandpa
a.k.a. Son
a.k.a. Brother
a.k.a. “Hoops” Danish
We are so proud of all you have done to support
Gilda’s Club Westchester
and how you inspire others to do the same.
Your efforts and those of EisnerAmper
will make a real difference in so many lives.
With Love from your family
who are, as ever,
inspired by your example,
Cindy, Natasha, Elsie, Sara, David,
Joshua, Kalani, Nathan, Karen & John
Red Door Page
Congratulations to Stacy, Dana, Josh and Jody
on being this year's recipients of the
Barbara Bennett-RonesVolunteer of theYear Award.
We are so proud of all that you have accomplished to
help make Gilda's Club Westchester the
extraordinary place it is today.
You honor the legacy and dreams of your mother
by your commitment and dedication.
All our Love,
Nancy and Gary
Red Door Page
Congratulations to
Stacy and Josh Babbitt
Dana and Jody Rones
Chris Mazzilli & Gotham Comedy Club
Leslie Danish & Eisner Amper
With admiration of and appreciation for the
crucial difference you have made in the lives
of so many living with cancer
Mike and Liz Stuntz
Red Door Page
Red Door Page
Congratulations
to all of this year’s honorees.
With sincere appreciation for your
dedication to
Gilda’s Club Westchester.
Jane and James Stern
Gold Door Page
In memory of
Beryl S. Adler
A loving daughter, sister,
wife, mother and friend.
We miss you GaGa.
Susie and Doug Fischer
Gold Door Page
Congratulations to all of the 2014 Gala Honorees
Chris, Stacy and Josh, Dana and Jody, and
Les Danish and EisnerAmper LLP
Your continued support and dedication to
Gilda’s Club Westchester
makes a difference in the lives of so many
who are impacted by cancer
Thank you to the Staff and Board for all you do
And a special thank you to the entire Gala Committee
for all working to make tonight’s event a success
With love and admiration,
Carol, Susie & Wendi
Gold Door Page
In loving memory
of
Susan Merolla
Margie Merolla
Rosalind Forse
Harri Taranto
Gold Door Page
Gold Door Page
Stacy, Josh, Dana, and Jody
L’Dor V'Dor
Gilda’s is so lucky that the
apples didn’t fall far
from the tree
Debbie and Steve Chapin
Gold Door Page
Congratulations to
Gilda's Club Westchester
for another outstanding year of
exceptional programming
Ellen and Howard Lazarus
Gold Door Page
White Door Page
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GILDA’S CLUB
WESTCHESTER GALA HONOREES
Chris Mazzilli & Gotham Comedy Club
Stacy & Josh Babbitt
Dana & Jody Rones
And a very special thank you to EisnerAmper for
all your support through the years.
To the entire staff of GCW, we honor you and
your dedication, professionalism and commitment to care
to those impacted by cancer.
We are proud to be a small part of this amazing organization.
With gratitude,
Cindy, Les & Natasha
White Door Page
Stacy and Josh
Dana and Jody
Thanks for carrying on the legacy of GCW
We are so proud of you!
Chris Mazzilli and
Les Danish & EisnerAmper LLP
Thanks for your continued support!
Congratulations to you all on this
well-deserved honor
Sincerely,
Wendi and Ed Schechter
White Door Page
Dominick’s Limousine Service –
Serving Westchester since 1979
Dominick’s Limousine Service and
DLS Worldwide Transportation
Proudly supports Gilda’s Club Westchester
and we congratulate this year’s award recipients,
Chris, Stacy, Josh, Dana, Jody,
Les and EisnerAmper LLP
for their commitment and dedication
to the mission of GCW.
Steven T. Carelli & Gary A. Schnorr
White Door Page
We congratulate
Gilda’s Club Westchester
For the outstanding support
of its members and the community.
And congratulations to
Dana and Jody Rones and
Stacy and Josh Babbitt
for their Volunteer of the Year Award!
Linda and David Walke
White Door Page
Congratulations
Staff, Board, & Members,
Susie, Wendi, & Carol
Passion, Dedication, Hard Work
& Love continues to grow
the heart & soul of GCW.
Thank you!
Cheryl & Harvey Geller
White Door Page
White Door Page
Chris, Les, EisnerAmper,
Stacy, Josh, Jody & Dana
Thank you for all you’ve done over
these many years to help put
GILDA’S CLUB WESTCHESTER
on the map!!
We could not have done it without
all of you!
xo
Susie & Gil Wang
White Door Page
To the best nieces & nephews an aunt could ever have.
You have made me so proud of your dedication &
drive to make Mom's dream thrive & grow.
Jody, Dana, Stacy & Josh,
may you always have butterflies surrounding you.
Thank you to Les Danish & EisnerAmper
for understanding & supporting Gilda's Club
Westchester in all ways.
Thank you to our "wonderful staff" for all their hard
work in making this great evening.
To Susie & Wendi,
thanks for making co-chairing the Gala so much fun.
With a full heart & lots of love,
Carol
White Door Page
Congratulations
to all of the honorees
Thank you so much for
always being there
The Levinsons
White Door Page
A very special thank you to our
2014 Gala Co-Chairs
Carol Bennett, Wendi Schechter and Susie Wang,
our incredible Silent Auction Chair
Stacey Wechsler
and the entire Gala Committee!
Also a special thanks to "Team Gilda"
especially Marissa and Leigh-Ann for helping to
make this year's Gala a success!
xoxo
Stephanie
White Door Page
North
South
East or West
our
SUSIE & GIL are the BEST!
In Admiration and Appreciation for their
Continuing Commitment to Gilda’s Club,
family and friends!
With love,
Peter & Dale Wang
Jeff, Amy, Ezra & Jonah
Greg, Liza, Anabelle & Bode
Helen Ross
White Door Page
CONGRATULATIONS
Stacy & Josh
Dana & Jody
on this well-deserved honor
We are so proud of you !
With love,
Linda & Ken
Susan & Glenn
and all your loving cousins
White Door Page
White Door Page
Schulman Black & Katz, LLP
Certified Public Accountants
Thank you to Gilda’s Club Westchester
and to Honorees
Stacy & Josh Babbitt
and
Dana & Jody Rones
for your ongoing dedication to
supporting those impacted by cancer.
Best wishes,
Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Black and Family
White Door Page
Wayne and Michele Benach
applaud the efforts of
the entire team at
GILDA’S CLUB WESTCHESTER
White Door Page
White Door Page
White Door Page
Congratulations to
Les Danish and EisnerAmper
on their well-deserved recognition.
And
Thank you Gilda's Club for all you do
to ease the pain.
Lou and Tobey Lipschitz
White Door Page
For Our Friend
Leslie Danish
Brianne & Sanford
Goldstein
White Door Page
ESP Productions, Inc.
is proud to work with
Gilda’s Club Westchester
for all their work providing support to
those touched by cancer
One Albertson Avenue, Albertson, NY 11507
tel 516.484.8ESP • fax 516.484.3398
www.partywithesp.com
White Door Page
CONGRATULATIONS
Dana and Jody
Stacy and Josh
For making a difference in the world.
We applaud your initiative and
commitment.
With love and gratitude,
Ellen, Marshall, Rob and Lizzie
White Door Page
Congratulations to all the honorees.
To Stacy and Jody and Josh and Dana:
Your continued commitment to Gilda's
shows an unselfish concern for others which
is a legacy that comes straight from the
namesake of this award.
We join your parents in kvelling over the
people that you have become.
Ellen and Barry Carron
White Door Page
Production Resource Group, LLC
200 Business Park Drive, Suite 109
Armonk, NY 10504
Congratulations!
A Great Team…
Dana and Jody
Stacy & Josh
Much Love,
Sandy and Gary
Congrats!
Dana & Jody
Ellen & David
Freeman
Congratulations
Les Danish &
EisnerAmper LLP
Congratulations
to all the honorees
and our friend, Les.
Sean & Christine
Gagnon
Steven and Doreen
Guzik
LIVE.
LAUGH.
LOVE.
Friends of Gilda’s*
Belle Bennett
Scott and Susan Gould
Nancy Hausman
Diane and Gary Katz
Iris & Gary Levine, Roaring Brook Art Company
Margaret M. Postlewaite, PhD
Susan & Larry Tolchin
Betty Valk
*as of March 25, 2014
We regret the omission of donors whose
contributions were received after the
Journal was finalized. Please visit our
website for a complete version:
www.gildasclubwestchester.org
Thank you for your continued and
generous support of
Gilda’s Club Westchester
and our
2014 Annual Comedy Gala.
Please Save the Date
for these Upcoming Special Events:
The 5th Annual Mah Jongg Invitational
Monday, May 5th
Willow Ridge Country Club
Harrison, New York
The 6th Annual Women’s Tennis Classic
Thursday, July 10th
Raindate: Wednesday, July 16th
Sunningdale Country Club
Scarsdale, New York
The 2014 Golf Invitational
Monday, July 14th
Quaker Ridge Country Club
Scarsdale, New York
Thank you and congratulations
to our 2014 Honorees
Chris Mazzilli and Gotham Comedy Club
The Red Door Award
Stacy and Josh Babbitt &
Dana and Jody Rones
The Barbara Bennett-Rones Volunteer of the Year Award
&
Leslie Danish, CPA and EisnerAmper LLP
Corporate Honoree
We truly appreciate your continued support
and dedication
The Gilda’s Club Westchester Staff
“There are those who open their hearts to others…
who never think twice about giving of themselves.
They are the wonderful warmhearted
people who make a difference in all of our lives.”
~Gilda Radner
80 Maple Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601
tel 914.644.8844 • fax 914.644.8284
www.gildasclubwestchester.org