It was a wondrous week of fundraising lunches and dinners that also included a reunion with my beloved colleague Dan Rattiner and his wonderful wife Chris Wasserstein and my dear children.
Dan, the founder of Dan’s Papers, had come to Palm Beach to visit me and stay with their gracious friends Adele Fuchsberg and her husband Dr. Derek Enlander.
Adele lives in Manalapan, a town that gives her access to La Coquille, an exclusive club for in the glamorous Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa.
The night we were there, we were the only guests dining at dinner. The service and food were impeccable and, best of all, we could hear each other without the roar of the crowds that persist at most restaurants!
The rest of the week was filled with impactful organizations raising money for their causes with lunches and galas.
I’m a lover of opera and here in Palm Beach, there is a world class opera company that operates in the black thanks to its board chair David Genser’s leadership. He kindly invited me to their gala at the historic Breakers Palm Beach hotel. It was such fun to dress up and see the men wearing their finest tuxedos accompanying glamorously dressed women.
To my delight, after cocktails, the world-class tenor Piotr Beczala took my breath away with his magnificent voice and performance.
We then walked into the grand ballroom for a delicious dinner before dancing to the music of an electrifying band with three great singers. What a truly memorable night!
Earlier in the day, a powerful group of women who belong to the Lions of Judah had their luncheon in the Cohen Pavilion adjacent to the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. These extraordinary women raise money for vulnerable Jews around the world. I loved how they celebrate each other, and the cause that they were there to support.
Later in the week, I was at the Hot Pink Luncheon for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, founded by the late Estée Lauder. Her beloved husband Leonard and son William were there to carry the torch for their mother and further the cause. They honored Michele and Howard Kessler.
The event raised critical funds to support breast cancer research.
Another cause close to home, The Boys’ Club of New York, which has programs for boys in Flushing and Manhattan, held a fundraiser at the Colony Hotel where ironically I met Shira, who owns Altuzarra, a fashion house in Manhattan and Easthampton. Her clothes were being featured at the fundraiser. She is a good friend of my kids, Josh and Tracey, and their children all go to school together. What a small world!
To top off the week, I was delighted to have my son Jon Yunis, his wife Hilary and their daughter Jillian join me at my hotel for the weekend. What a treat!
They live in Sarasota, where he practices medicine and is referred to as the “King of the Hernias” on the west coast of Florida. They took Alligator Alley for 3 1/2 hours to come visit me in Palm Beach.
They came Saturday afternoon after I had a wondrous morning on Ted Vassilev’s yacht. I met Ted last year and we have since become great friends. He is a major supporter of the art featured in Dan’s Papers Palm Beach and our Manhattan media outlets, which also features artists he represents.
I asked Christina and Eric Wilson to join us on the ride up and down the coast. During our voyage, we saw glorious homes facing the intercoastal that are often hidden from sight by the high hedges on their front lawns. We enjoyed champagne and croissants as we relished the sun-filled skies and gentle breezes.
Since Jon and Hilary were staying at the hotel, we decided to enjoy dinner there, too, set to the music of Robert Cavallo, who was performing with the band!
Sunday marked a fabulous finish to the week.
We had lunch at Sant Ambroeus in The Royal Poinciana Plaza. Of course, we walked around the outdoor mall for a shopping “fix” after our delicious meal.
It was a perfect end to a perfect visit, but it was bittersweet as we hugged goodbye!
A Super Bowl party awaited me with my friends Guy Clark and Harrison Morgan hosted by Diane and Neil Maune. How joyous, even though the Philadelphia Eagles lost (we own the daily newspaper Metro Philadelphia). On to next year!
