A Honey of an Evening
Wednesday September 09, 2009 | Contributor: Jennifer Wright

There was one downside to Gossip Girl’s fabulously fun filming session at the Gates—it forced another event to relocate. That party was the Charity Scene benefit for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital’s Aubrey Fund. This fund, formed in 1997, is named for Aubrey Barr, who was treated for, and recovered from, leukemia. Since its inception, the fund has raised over $25 million for pediatric cancer research.





The Gates’ loss was our gain. The meatpacking district hot spot Honey was a perfect venue, warm and inviting with exposed brick walls and mahogany paneling. Remember—all that glitters is not just gilded chandeliers. This particular evening, we didn’t need ornate décor as we had the attraction of beautiful baubles designed by Judith Ripka, who had generously donated numerous pieces to the silent auction and raffle.





To help figure out what to pair with these sparklers? Our host, and a great supporter of the organization, was celebrity stylist Lauren Rae Levy. She offered styling tips to all those in attendance. We listened carefully, for her clients have included Sarah Jessica Parker, Paris Hilton and Real Housewife Bethany Frankel.





Aubrey Barr was to be the star of the show, however. I was fascinated to hear her story. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 4, she attributes her successful treatment to her doctor’s spending one day a week studying at Sloan-Kettering and the other four practicing throughout the community. After years of chemotherapy, she is a thriving adult and an avid marathon runner. At the time of her diagnosis, nine out of ten children died of the disease; now acute lymphoblastic leukemia has an 85% cure rate. She still believes that “Memorial Sloan-Kettering provides the best cancer treatment there is.”





This optimistic attitude seemed to pervade the evening. As guests sampled complimentary cocktails, they had an opportunity to dance to JJ the DJ’s tunes. (Some of the mid-90s selections were surely intended to remind us of the inception of the Aubrey Fund and the advances it made possible.) There was a message board where guests could see how much had been raised for the organization and also text their own sentiments or pledge more, if they were so inclined.





It was a honey of an evening and a reminder to us all of how lucky we are to have our health.