Dysautonomia Foundation
Blue Genes 2006
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The Blue Genes Cocktail Party was one of the most memorable Dysautonomia Foundation fund raisers ever. New York, New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and southern Connecticut were hit hard by a record breaking blizzard on the weekend of February 11th and 12th resulting in 26.9” of snow. Co-chair, Robin Landau was unshakable in her commitment to the adage – the show must go on! Robin, along with co-chair Barbra Berg, their event committee, Cowgirls He Ha, honorary chair Tatum O’Neal, AV crew Scharff Weisberg, event volunteers and Django restaurant staff – against all odds – put on the event! And, the reviews have been glowing ever since. Guests, hosts and hostesses had so much fun.
While 300 guests were intending to come to Blue Genes, about half that number were able to find transportation to Manhattan. The Long Island and Metro North trains were rarely running, if at all. New Jersey was completely snowed in. City subways were intermittently available. Those who made it to Django through the storm were wonderfully enthusiastic wearing their denim and diamonds and ready to party!
Raffles for the evening included a Diamond Discovery Tower with hundreds of zircon studs and one $15,000 pair of diamond earrings by Diamond Ideals, provided by Laurent Landau, plus a large screen plasma TV provided by Freddie and Eddie Baranoff.
Silent Auction items were categorized into groups such as A Taste of New York, Ready to Wear, the Art of Conversation, Curtain Call and Babes in Toyland. Auctioned off were some rarely available items such as autographed Curb Your Enthusiasm memorabilia, (including R-rated comments by Jeff Garlin), overflowing New York Dog Accessories’ Baskets and a luncheon with Oscar Winning Film Director, Stephen Frears. There was an amazing array of Robin Rotenier jewelry, antique art, Broadway tickets, designer fashions and cookware. Beautiful silver serving pieces and dinners for two at Manhattan restaurants were in abundant supply, as well.
Django’s food was delicious and the service was impeccable. The atmosphere was elegant, warm and welcoming. Guests enjoyed their cocktails and dinner in the gypsy-like rooms of beaded drapes, Persian rugs, tented bar and Venetian glass chandeliers.
After dinner, Cowgirls He Ha headed by Ellyn Greenspan and her crew, Gerald Stern and Rachel Florio, hosted a kid’s fashion show of denim and diamonds. The live program was simulcast on a plasma screen at the silent auction for those still bidding. Because a number of models could not get to Django due to the storm, a few models were recruited on the spot and decked out in glittered, form fitting evening wear! Our featured FD models included Samantha Myers, Jennifer Bell, Gabi Jasse, Rebecca Newman and Sam Landau as well as many siblings and friends. All of the models, ages 3 to 21 modeled fabulous Cowgirls He Ha fashions. Their cowgirl hats, silver and gold balloons, cowboy boots and barefeet added flair to a delightful show. The bright eyes and beaming smiles on the kids in the show, especially the girls with FD captured the feeling in the room; after all, these beautiful kids were among the intended beneficiaries of the event.
The Blue Genes’ finale was the Live Auction. Honorary Chair Tatum O’Neal and Barbra Berg introduced Dr. Felicia Axelrod who explained how she came to treat people with FD. After a brief film, Christies’ veteran auctioneer Kathleen Guzman moved the luxury vacations, MTV, HBO and NY Met Museum private tours right out the door.
So what are the odds of having FD? Probably the same as having an FD fund raiser during an all-time record breaking snow storm. But nothing can stop the enthusiasm of the amazing people who support the Dysautonomia Foundation. Blue Genes was a success, raising well over $100,000.
The plan is to have Blue Genes again next year – during the spring!
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