150th Anniversary Harvard Gala

I had the absolute pleasure of attending Harvard’s 150th annual dinner gala at the historic Harvard Club in New York City. It was a surreal, magical experience that is hard to put into words, but I’m certainly going to try… 

Like with all fairytales, it includes a ball gown, dapper date and an evening with all the decadence befitting the Ivy League elite.  

I wore a brilliant off the shoulder floral jacquard high-low ball gown by Cynthia Rowley for this momentous occasion. I’ll never forget walking into the Harvard Club main room and hearing the audible comments about my gown. I felt like Cinderella in every sense of the word, and it was thrilling to know that I had chosen the right gown. 

Adam Kaplan, a Harvard grad that I had met a few days earlier through mutual friends had invited me to the Harvard gala. Adam was equally well dressed in his black and white suit, bow tie and matching pocket square. We looked like the King and Queen of the Harvard gala that evening. 

The Harvard Club of New York, the city’s most exclusive private club, is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan. Opened in 1894, the original three-story Neo-Georgian landmark preserves Harvard’s traditions and timeless legacy. 

China Southern Airlines Dignitary Gala at The Plaza Hotel

China Southern Airlines held a glamorous gala at The Plaza Hotel to celebrate their inaugural flight from Guangzhou, China to JFK.

This is China Southern Airline's new non-stop service between New York and Guangzhou that is meant to better connect the US and Chinese markets and further promote New York as a global destination. 

The evening gala featured a cocktail hour followed by a sit-down dinner in The Plaza’s Grand Ballroom, speeches by China Southern executives, a raffle and performances by China Southern’s flight attendants.

This unique international evening had an impressive roster of invited guests that included, WABC Host, NY Times bestselling author and TV Correspondent Rita Cosby, Actress Julianne Michelle and Political Filmmaker, Social Activist, and Actor Sean Stone.

Confirmed Government Officials included:

Kenneth E. Hyatt – Acting Under Secretary for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce

Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally –Executive Director, SelectUSA International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce

William Colton – Assemblyman, United States Government

Markly Wilson – Director of International Marketing for the New York State Division of Tourism, United States Government

Haitian Lu, United Nations

Ian Chan – Office Manager of Councilman Peter Koo, United States Government

Elaine Fan, United States Government

Liu Yiwei – Counselor

Li Xiaomei – Consul, Consulate General of China in New York

Liu Lian –Secretary of Consul General Sun Guoxiang

For more than 30 years, China Southern - www.csair.com - has been the largest airline in The People’s Republic of China and is headquartered at the ultra-modern Baiyun International Airport Guangzhou. China Southern operates a fleet of more than 550 aircraft and serves 193 cities in 30 countries and regions, forming an extensive network with Guangzhou and Beijing as its hubs. China Southern is a proud member of SkyTeam and together with member airlines offers passengers a worldwide system of more than 19,000 daily flights spanning more than 1,000 destinations in 187 countries.

New Yorkers For Children 10th Anniversary Spring Dinner Dance

Olivia Palermo and me
Photo Credit: © Grayson Dantzic 

The New Yorkers for Children Dinner Dance was a dazzling soiree that congregated the city’s most beautiful and affluent people. Sponsored by Valentino, the ritzy event took place on the 34th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The sparkling crowd included celebrities, socialites, and models like Olivia Palermo, Nicky Hilton, Phillip Bloch, Tinsley Mortimer, Lindsey Wixson, Hilary Rhoda, and Emmy Rossum.

Event Chairs included Derek Anderson, Allison Aston, Marisa Brown, Alina Cho, Natalia Echavarria, Nicole Esposito, Lydia Fenet, Rory Hermelee, Victor Kubicek, Amy McFarland, Euan Rellie, Susan Shin, and Honorary Chair Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos. Special guests at the event included ten young people in foster care who are leaders in New Yorkers For Children programs.

New Yorkers For Children (NYFC) works in partnership with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to improve the prospects of children supported by the child welfare system and to engage New Yorkers in that effort. With a focus on young people in foster care, NYFC supports programs that promote paths to stable adulthood through education and sustainable relationships with caring adults.

The evening featured dinner, music and dancing with DJ D-Nice, a silent auction, and NYFC’s youth speakers Vanessa, Amara and Shavonn.

A record high of over $650,000 was raised during the event to benefit youth in foster care in New York City.