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Model behavior
Nemcova revved up to help North Shore charitable event
Petra Nemcova. photography
by fernando sancho
■ by bill mclean Almost 10 years after suffering a broken pelvis and surviving a devastating tsunami near a resort in Thailand by clinging to the top of a palm tree for eight hours, supermodel Petra Nemcova sits in an airport in New York before a recent flight to London. Her voice during a phone interview exudes excitement as she discusses the Happy Hearts Fund organization she created in the wake of the 2004 natural disaster that killed more than 230,000 people — including her fiancé Simon Atlee. “Each day people get to choose to be positive or negative,” says Nemcova, who was born in what is now the Czech Republic and has lived in Haiti for the past 22 months. “I always choose to be positive.” Her nonprofit Happy Hearts Fund rebuilds schools in regions struck by natural disasters. It is a particularly beneficial cause for a community after emergency responders complete their high-priority tasks following a tragedy and global attention fades. Delays in reconstruction efforts usually ensue, keeping children at home for months during school hours. That’s when Happy Hearts Fund steps in — and closes the crucial time gap between the departure of the first responders and the resumption of rebuilding classrooms. Thus far Happy Hearts Fund has provided vital capital for the construction of 92 schools all over the world. “I’ve been very blessed to be able to travel and connect
with so many people in so many countries,” Nemcova says. “I’ve seen people who have suffered terrible losses, but I’m inspired when I see those same people smile and share their love.” Nemcova has never seen people from the North Shore beam in a North Shore setting. But that will change on Nov. 8, when she plans to serve as one of several luminaries at a charity event held at Lake Forest Sportscars in Lake Bluff: “DALLAS: Stetsons, Stilettos and Sportscars.” The gathering — also featuring former Chicago Bears Richard Dent and Alex Brown, a casino, live music, an open bar, fare from six restaurants, a live and a silent auction — is sponsored by Heal Team 6, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Green Oaks resident Steven Esposito. Heal Team 6 helps local charitable organizations generate resources and establish business connections. This weekend’s DALLAS gala intends to round up Texassized funds for the Association of Horizon, an all-volunteer organization that provides recreational activities for adults with physical disabilities. Its annual budget is only $80,000, and it runs a weeklong annual summer camp in downstate Illinois for adults with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. “I went down there with Terry (Rozdolsky, an original Association of Horizon volunteer and a Lake Forest resident) last summer to see what goes on during the camp,” says Esposito, senior vice president and portfolio management director of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in
Lake Forest. “I was amazed. I was in tears,” he adds. “It was incredibly heartwarming, seeing the campers enjoy a variety of activities with generous volunteers. But you know what else is so great about the camp [in Hudson, near Lake Bloomington]? The caregivers of the campers with disabilities are usually their parents, and that week is often the only week in the year when the parents get a well-deserved break. It’s wonderful what the Association of Horizon does each year.” Esposito met Nemcova in the green room of the ABC News studio in New York before appearing on a financial advice segment a couple of months ago. His wife, Melissa, is a big Petra Nemcova fan, so Steven called his wife and handed his phone to his new friend, who performed on season 12 of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2011 and was named ambassador-at-large for Haiti because of her extensive commitments to charities in 2012. “They talked for about 15 minutes,” Steven recalls. “Petra is such a sweet, loving, giving person … beautiful on the outside and inside. We’re excited she’ll be at the event this weekend, and we’re grateful the Mancuso family donated the use of facility to us. “Petra,” he adds, “is going to fly in the day before the event and then fly to Peru the day after it.” To purchase tickets and learn more about this weekend’s charitable event that runs from 6 p.m.-11:30 p.m. at Lake Forest Sportscars in Lake Bluff, visit www.healteam6.org. Tickets must be purchased in advance. ■