From the electrifying election victory of Mayor-elect Eric Adams to the salute of our A List Extraordinary Men in Business, to watching my grandson Sam Broner run the New York City Marathon, it truly was a week to cherish.
For more than a decade, I have known Eric Adams during his journey from State Senator to Brooklyn Borough President and, now, Mayor-elect.
I was delighted to be standing right behind him as he made his historic acceptance speech. He passionately spoke about his vision for our great city’s future and electrified the standing-room-only crowd at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott in Brooklyn.
Roars of approval filled my ears as I, too, looked out to the crowd of supporters filled with love for Eric proudly standing behind him on the stage.
After delivering his acceptance speech and receiving congratulations from Gov. Kathy Hochul, I was delighted to go upstairs to his suite and spend time with his family and friends.
Ironically his brother Bernie, who I hadn’t seen for many years, was an old friend during his days serving on the police force assigned to Queens. We would hang out at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel back when it was called the Crowne Plaza LaGuardia with my dearest friend of blessed memory Dolly DeThomas, who was a senior vice president at the hotel.
Bernie had moved south, but when I asked him if he would return, I got a resounding “yes!”
Bernie shared with me that his brother Eric had told his mother as a young man, “Mom, I’m going into the police force and will become a captain. Then I’m running for State Senate. Then I’m running for Brooklyn Borough President and then I’m going to be Mayor!” It all came true!
Sadly his mother passed before Eric’s election victory, but I like to believe she knows of his passion, persistence and vision and is watching over him!
Eric has it all, which bodes well for all of us as he begins his work to bring back our city to its rightful place as the greatest city in the world!
I feel privileged to know him and know that our city is in the hands of a great man leading us out of this uniquely terrifying time in our history.
The A List
As readers of my column know, I’m a proud grandma and never was I prouder than this weekend.
My 10-year-old granddaughter Addy accompanied her mom (my daughter) Elizabeth to our A List event recognizing accomplished men from Manhattan to Montauk.
Our events team gathered college presidents, CEOs, managing partners of law, banking and accounting firms for our ultimate networking event.
At all our events, we raise money for worthy causes, and that night it was for the Michael Magro Foundation for children suffering from cancer.
My little Addy worked the room, selling over $1,000 in raffle tickets and helping my team raise a total of $3,500, all going toward a great cause!
It filled my heart to see how she took her responsibilities seriously and fearlessly. She even handed me the “Vicki” statuettes as I presented them to our A-Listers!
What a girl!
And a few days later, her brother Jonah ran a 75-yard touchdown in his school’s football game! What a sight!
Celebrating 50 years of the NYC Marathon
With daylight savings giving me some extra sleep, I awoke to a glorious, sun-filled, deep blue sky. It was the 50th year of the New York Road Runners organizing the running of the New York City Marathon.
It seems like just yesterday when Lew Rudin was approached by runner Fred Lebow to organize a marathon around New York City. Those were dark days for the city and Rudin wanted to attract people and create a positive event.
It began with only 50 runners in its first year, but it continued to grow and grow. As many as 60,000 people participated before the pandemic, which helped bring in millions of tourism dollars and good will for our city.
This year, my MIT graduate student grandson, the 6′1″, 200-pound Sam Broner, ran alongside 33,000 others.
Our family cheered him on when he arrived at the corner of 90th Street and First Avenue alongside hundreds of others. No group shouted louder or held bigger signs than our family of cheerleaders!
Sam ran briskly by us with a big smile and waved as he tried to meet his personal time goal. I was not allowed to stop him for a photo, but my daughter and I both caught him on video.
What a thrill!
We met up as a group a few hours after Sam surpassed his goal, finishing in 3 hours, 55 minutes and 27 seconds!
At the celebratory dinner, he admitted after he saw us at the 17-mile mark it was a struggle getting through to the finish line. But with a big Broner smile, he admitted that the cheers of the crowd yelling “Go, Sam, go” (he wore his name on his jersey) over the last couple of miles carried him over the finish line!
He was exhausted, but proud he had done it and I, too, was bursting with pride!
His brothers Zach and Ben, all their girlfriends and cousins, Judith and her twin 1-year-old darlings, his Broner parents and grandparents, as well as my daughter Sami and granddaughter Morgan were his best fans!
It truly takes a village and I’m so happy to have been there to see him accomplish his goal!
What a great way to end a remarkable week!
