Beneath the glowing lights of the city that
never sleeps, more than 550 participants gathered for the Greater
New York Chapter - Manhattan's ninth annual Breath of Life Gala in
November.
The event, which raised $1.6 million, featured live and silent
auctions, a celebrity comedy skit and many New York notables. But it was a
touching speech by an adult with cystic fibrosis that really brought the night
to life.
Hope and Optimism

Gary
J. Negrycz, chapter board member, honoree and Breath of Life Award recipient
with his wife Eileen and their granddaughter Sara.
Piper Beatty, 31, who
has CF and is a long-time volunteer and devoted friend to the CF Foundation
delivered the evening's powerful Bid for a Cure speech. Speaking from
her heart, Piper discussed the significance of Kalydeco™, the first drug to
address the underlying cause of CF in four percent of the population.
Though the FDA's approval of the drug does not impact her, she is confident
that the breakthrough treatment will change the lives of people with the
disease.
“It's our time,” she said. “We're so close to finding a cure. We
can do this. We can all do this.” Piper's words inspired guests to donate more
than $130,000 during Bid for a Cure.
Star-Studded
Event
As she spoke, Piper was surrounded by a number of famous
New Yorkers including Lonnie Quinn, “CBS 2 News” chief weathercaster and board
member of the CF Foundation's Greater New York Chapter - Manhattan; Heather
Thomson and Carole Radziwill, stars from Bravo's hit series, “The Real
Housewives of New York City”; Michael Kay, YES Network's voice of the New York
Yankees; and Ali Wentworth, author, comedian and actress most famous for her
role as Jerry's girlfriend in the classic Seinfeld episode “Soup Nazi.”

The New York
City skyline was front and center at the 9th Annual Breath of Life Gala at
Cipriani 42nd Street.
Thomas, Radziwill, and Wentworth all provided
entertainment throughout the evening, as did The New York Pops, a symphonic pop
orchestra.
Honoring Commitment
The Gala also offered
an opportunity to recognize and celebrate those who generously support the CF
Foundation. Gary J. Negrycz, vice president of Turner Construction, honoree, and
chapter board member, was the recipient of the 2012 Breath of Life award. This
prestigious award honors exceptional individuals for their above and beyond
commitment, leadership and dedication to the fight against CF.
Unmatched Auction Items
Finally, guests took part in
live and silent auctions led by Kay, Radziwill, Thomson and Wentworth. The live
auction included tickets to the Grammy Awards and the Kentucky Derby and suite
tickets to the New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat game.
The silent auction
featured a wide range of items, like jewelry, tickets to exclusive shows and
events, sports memorabilia and exclusive getaways to Nantucket and Zurich,
Switzerland.
Together the auctions raised nearly $100,000 towards the
search for a cure for CF.
The Greater New York Chapter - Manhattan would like to
thank the event chairs and co-chairs:
|
Event chairmen:
- Charles D. Avolio,
LEED AP, Vice President & Operations Manager of Turner Construction and Emad
Lotfalla, Vice President of Turner Construction.
Event
co-chairs:
- Jeffrey A. Altman, The Jeffrey A. Altman
Foundation
- Donna and Robert Shafir, Credit Suisse
- Suzanne and
J. Crandall, Oak Hill Capital Management
- Timothy J. Clark, Elm Street
Capital Partners
- Kate and Robert H. Niehaus, Greenhill Capital
Partners, LLC
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals
- Kim and Alan Hartman,
Centerview Partners, LLC
- Amy and John S. Weinberg, Goldman Sachs
Committee:
- Jacquie Colgan
- Tom
Grotta
- Thomas Lynch
- Eileen Negrycz
- Janice
Rossman
- Donna Shafir
|
Its generous sponsors:
- Gary Negrycz, Vice President of Turner Construction; and
Turner Construction
|