Thanks to overwhelming ticket sales, live and silent auction purchases, and donations associated with this year’s Third Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Gala, John “Gungie” Rivera was proud to present Dr. Mark Souweidane with a check for $100,000 at the star-studded event.
John was joined on stage by all of the Cristian Rivera Foundation committee members in attendance - including former Bronx Borough President and mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, celebrity chef Alex Garcia, actress and founder of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Miriam Colon, celebrity chef Ricardo Cardona, legendary producer John “Jellybean” Benitez, former New York Knicks all-star Anthony Mason, La Mega’s JI Starr, concert impresario Ralph Mercado III, interior decorator Solange Osorio and professional body builder Victor Martinez - or this historic moment.
The event was held at the newly re-launched Copacabana Supper Club and Event Space in Times Square and hosted by Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson and award-winning actor Luis Guzman, both committee members of the Cristian Rivera Foundation. It featured a 30-minute band set by legendary pop/Latin singer Brenda K. Starr and food provided by Celebrity Chefs Ricardo Cardona and Alex Garcia. Among the night’s esteemed guests were Danielle Staub of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, comedian Ruperto Vanderpool, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York City Comptroller John Liu, Dangerous Minds actor Renaly Santiago and, of course, Dr. Souweidane, the Director of the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center who took this opportunity to announce that his one-of-a-kind novel delivery system has gotten approval from the FDA and clinical trials will start in a few weeks.
You can still help the Cristian Rivera Foundation raise money for Dr. Souweidane’s exciting and important work. Visit www.cristianriverafoundation.org to make a donation, or to purchase signature foundation t-shirts or one of our three styles of wristbands. All money raised goes directly to Dr. Souweidane and his team, and every donation, big or small, helps us get closer to our goal of curing DIPG forever. For photos of the Third Annual Cristian Rivera Foundaiton Gala, visitwww.cristianriverafoundation.org/gala3 or www.facebook.com/cristianriverafoundation.
Greetings from the Cristian Rivera Foundation.
Welcome to the September newsletter. It’s an exciting time at the Cristian Rivera Foundation. Our Third Annual Gala is all set for Monday September 12 from 6pm to 10pm at the Copacabana Supper Club and Event Space. So many great things are scheduled for the event, starting with a cocktail hour and red carpet arrivals for our esteemed committee members and celebrity guests. Committee member Kenan Thompson of Saturday Night Live and Nickelodeon is hosting along with fellow committee member and award-winning actor Luis Guzman. Dinner will be provided by the Copacabana, as well as our generous committee members Alex Garcia and Ricardo Cardona. There will be awards presentations, music and dancing, and a 30-minute band set from Brenda K. Starr, whose long list of hits includes “I Still Believe,” “What You See is What You Get” and chart-topping Latin Tropical/Salsa hit “Herida.”
Of course you’ll also want to check out the amazing live and silent auction items that will be available at the gala. Among them are an autographed photo of Muhammad Ali holding the Olympic Torch, a bat used by New York Yankees star A-Rod, and autographed merchandise from Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets, New York Yankee Derek Jeter, NBA legend Michael Jordan, former New York Met Darryl Strawberry, legendary actress Marilyn Monroe and many more. Plus we’ll be offering one-of-a-kind experiences like home-cooked dinners provided by celebrity chefs Alex Garcia and Ricardo Cardona; a Marc Anthony dream package that includes an autographed guitar, Marc Anthony CD collection, a rare photo taken by Danny Hastings and signed by Marc Anthony, and four tickets to his next New York-area concert; a Jay-Z package that includes a hard-to-get pair of tickets for the Watch the Throne tour with Kanye West valued at $2,000, plus an autographed Jay-Z photo and a party at Jay-Z’s 40/40, including food and liquor, in the VIP room; an I Love NY Sports Team package that includes a baseball and photo signed by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, a photo signed by Eli Manning of the New York Giants and a helmet from football legend “Broadway Joe” Namath; a night on the town that includes two tickets to a Broadway show, dinner at the Copacabana Supper Club and a stay at the popular Sanctuary Hotel; and an exclusive package from the W Hotel Hoboken that includes a weekend stay, dinner at Zylo and a complimentary bottle at the Chandelier Room.
All money raised from auction items and ticket sales will go to Dr. Mark Souweidane, the Director of the Pediatric Brain and Spine Center at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Souweidane has conducted pioneering research and will serve as the Principal Investigator on an innovative clinical trial that will be the first of its kind. The trial was recently cleared by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and is now expected to begin at any time. For the latest on Dr. Souweidane and his team, visit his Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/WeillCornellPediatricBrainandSpine.
To make sure you don’t miss out on this amazing event, go tocristianriverafoundation.org/events.html today and purchase your ticket. Your attendance will mean the world to the Cristian Rivera Foundation as we not only celebrate the life of Cristian Rivera but also do our part to fund the promising research that will one day cure DIPG forever.
Among those who will be joining us at the Third Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Gala are our two newest committee members, Anthony Bastone and Rickie Ricardo.
Anthony Bastone is the owner of some of the Bronx’s most popular restaurants, including The Pine Bar and Grill and Frankie & Johnnie’s.
Rickie Ricardo is a 30-year radio industry veteran and inductee into the New York City Radio Hall of Fame. He is in his fourth season with the Philadelphia Phillies broadcast crew at SBN Philadelphia.
Make sure you visit our website,www.cristianriverafoundation.org, often for all of the latest updates on this month’s exciting event. Also make sure to follow us on Twitter @tweetcrf and join our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/cristianriverafoundation.
We hope to see you all at the Third Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Gala. Tickets are going fast so log on to cristianriverafoundation.org/events.html today to buy your tickets. Even if you are unable to attend, please make a donation at cristianriverafoundation.org/donation.html and help support our fight against DIPG. Any donation, big or small, brings us closer to our goal of curing DIPG forever.
Full Steam Ahead!
Sincerely,
Cristian's Mommy Jenelle Asencio, John "Gungie" Rivera, "Forever Cristian's Daddy," and all of the members of the Cristian Rivera Foundation Committee: Aldo Marin, Alex Garcia, Andy Epstein, Anthony Bastone, Anthony Mason, Camilo, Carlos Keyes, David Maldonado, Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Bear Walker, Dr. Ben Velazquez, Edward Caban, Elis Pacheco, Fernando Ferrer, Fulvia Lora, Funkmaster Flex, Hamlet Peralta, J.I. Starr, James R. Cotto, Jay Hernandez, Jeff Lavino, Jerry Chaparro, Jim Jones, Jimmy Rodriguez, John "Jelly Bean" Benitez, Johnny Nuñez, Jose Alberto "El Canario", Joseph Mbeh, Kamar De Los Reyes, Katie DeFlorio, Kenan Thompson, Khaliah Ali, Little Louie Vega, Luis Guzman, Manuel Alejandro Ruiz (Boy Wonder), Marianela Gonzalez, Marissa Gonzalez,Mark Rosner, Matthew "Mateo" Rajkumar, Melissa Chung, Miriam Colon, Murray Richman, Odalys Molina, Pablo Diaz, Ralph Mercado III, Ray Wong, Ricardo Cardona, Rickie Ricardo, Robert Vazquez, Ruben Sierra, Solange Osorio, Steve Cox, Tedsmooth, Tony Ferrara, Victor Martinez, Vito Bruno, William Pla
