SWEETCHARITY: COLLABORATING FOR A CURE HIGH TEA

The second annual by-invitation-only fashion event benefiting the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation called “Collaborating for a Cure High Tea” took place on May 20 at the elegant home of philanthropist Andrea Stark. The event featured St. John’s pre-fall collection modeled informally and moderated by Marie-Charlotte Wood Joly, Director of Training and Development at St. John. Pamela Morgan, owner of “Flirting with Flavors” and Chair for the second year of this Waxman Foundation event, stated, “We are thrilled to have St. John as our fashion partner at this event.”

“Our Foundation is fortunate to have such dedicated supporters,” stated Dr. Samuel Waxman, Founder and CEO of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. “It is through their efforts and commitment that we are able to continue our work in research. We have made great inroads in developing less toxic patient treatments and making discoveries that bring us closer to a cure. This could not be possible without the funds raised through events such as this.” Co-chairs of the event are Andrea Stark, Sharon Bush, Jane Pontarelli and Lauren Lawrence. Committee Members include Paola Bacchini, Maria Elena Christiansen, Consuelo Costin, Nicole Dicocco, Christina DeSimone, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Adrienne Kantor, Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen, Marion Waxman and Andrea Warnick.

Morgan made welcoming remarks and introduced Stark, who complimented the SWCRF on its good work and expressed her pleasure in partnering with the Foundation to support cancer research by hosting the benefit. Dr. Waxman discussed a mutated enzyme called IDH 1-2 which is being studied in many SWCRF-funded research projects. Among those projects is the SWCRF’s new Aging and Cancer initiative, which examines the genetic causes of increased cancer incidence in people over 50.

Offering testimonial on the importance of research were Lauren Leonard and Sarah Littlejohn, friends and partners in a fashion company that is staging a benefit for the SWCRF’s brain cancer programs in September. Littlejohn designs a luxury costume jewelry line called OCIE New York and Leonard designs clothing with hand-painted prints under the Lauren Phelps label. The duo, who met through their fashion careers, bonded a year ago after learning both of their lives were affected by brain cancer. Sarah lost a 28-year-old sister to brain cancer while Lauren’s mother died of the disease at the age of 48.

The event opened the summer season of fundraising programs to raise money and awareness for the Foundation’s research programs. “Collaborating for a Cure High Tea” is followed by “A Hamptons Happening” on July 11 on the grounds of the Bridgehampton home of Maria and Kenneth Fishel, and the annual SWCRF golf outing on July 16 at The Creek in Locust Valley. Visit www.waxmancancer.org for more info.