AVENUEinsider January 1, 2012 by AVENUE Magazine

chronicles

DEBBIE BANCROFT

Season’s Healings The city’s do-gooders celebrate the holiday season with a bevy of charitable bashes

20 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2012

n our most glorious season, we remembered and celebrated continue her work. And so they have—through Love Heals. some of the things we love most; our best friend, animals, Twenty years and thousands of educated kids later, they a mother, Central Park and, of course, one starry screening. celebrated her life and work at a teary but happy dinner in The Audrey Gruss founded Hope for Depression in 2006, Pool Room of the Four Seasons. Hal Rubenstein, of InStyle in honor of her mother, Hope, to research, educate and who has lived with AIDS for 20 years (and who just married his ultimately find a cure for depression. A long time partner, David Nickle), expertly emceed sold- out audience of more than 200 sat at and urged us to “reignite the conversation that is cleverly arranged (by 583 Park) lecture hall often too hard to hear.”Alan Cumming, admitted tables, brieﬂy chatted, but mostly learned. “I’m verklempt”(don’t you love it when Scots speak Deborah Norville bravely shared her postYiddish?) and introduced “Jules”—aka Julianna “network golden girl” and postpartum, Margulies—his co-star from The Good Wife. downward spiral, culminating in a Emily Mortimer introduced Honoree cookie dough diet and a shower cry Cristina Greeven Cuomo, as “the that prompted her husband, Karl, perfect girl, the one everyone wantto get her help. She emerged better ed to be friends with. Though I than ever, with a best seller, Thank decided she was the kindest girl—the You Power, based on the healopposite of a braggart.” Michael ing philosophy of remembering Lorber was also honored and the what makes you happy and being sold out room held Michael J. Fox and grateful for all who made it Tracy Pollan, the Cuomo and Greeven possible. Shouldn’t that have been families, Christine Baranski and many in every Christmas stocking. . . other fans and friends. next to the coal? Co-Chair Patrick More tugs at the heart strings: McMullan told us of his chronic the ASPCA Annual Humane pain, resulting depression and how Awards Luncheon introduced us to he would “fake it till [he made] it.” Mittens, the cat who was set on fire by Audrey presented the HOPE Award 2 kids (whom I have a personal vendetta to Callie Thorne, who personally against) and dragged herself to care for battled depression and who now stars in the her three kittens. Waaahhh! Then there was TV series Necessary Roughness, which Ricochet, the surfing therapy dog; Sergeant addresses mental illness. Check the David Hunt, who led raids on dog fighting website out for information on rings, populated by gun-wielding thugs—no depression’s relation to heart gentle task—and Green Chimneys, a facility disease, body disorders, alcoholism that helps disturbed kids through emotional and more. Depressing? Yes—but treatconnections to animals. Caroline Griffin able. Co-Chairs were Dr. Samantha devoted her life to protecting animals and Boardman, Jackie Drake, Kim Heirston, prosecuting their abusers: she created the Dr. Dailey Pattee and Lis Waterman. first Anti-Animal Abuse Commission in Supporters included Muriel Brandolini, Maryland (brace yourselves, Andrew and Beth DeWoody, Tory Burch, Alexander Mike—you will be asked, firmly). Chuck Guest, Martin, Joshua and Shoshanna Gruss, Scarborough, the consummate Master of Karen LeFrak, Nicole Mellon, Adrienne Ceremonies and animal advocate, made us chuckle Vittadini and Fernanda Niven. with his story of interviewing Karen LeFrak with her Alison Gertz was infected with the beloved poodle, whose paws were on Chuck and Ellen Scarborough with Oliver AIDS virus through a single sexual Karen’s shoulders and whose other end encounter when she was just 16 years was in Chuck’s face. Stevie Nelson created old. After her diagnosis, she spent the last four years of her life a campaign for an animal shelter and raised $30,000 before he educating kids about AIDS and at 26, while on her deathbed, was seven years old. Subaru promotes pet adoption through her best friends Dini von Muefﬂing, Julianna Margulies, its dealerships—since more Subaru owners have pets than any Stefani Greenfield and Victoria Leacock promised to other car brand. I’ll bet they’re nicer, too. Loving leaders and