The lovely Sofia Vergara and Tina Knowles attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine‘s Annual Spirit of Achievement Awards luncheon. They both came out to support their dear friend, jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, who was being honored with this very prestigious award for her work as a successful entrepreneur and also in the fight against women’s health issues.

The three moms chatted it up over lunch while checking out each other’s bling (all by Lorraine of course). Dessert was super classy – Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Vergara donned looked stunning and slender as ever in her Victoria Beckham dress and showed no signs of any break up woes, staying way past the event ended mingling and taking pictures with friends of Lorraine’s and members of the organization.

The esteemed National Women’s Division of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine hold this annual exclusive fundraising event to honor outstanding individuals in the arts, media, business, government and other fields. This successful fundraiser has raised approximately $400,000 each year in support of ground-breaking medical research in women’s cancers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the nation’s leading medical schools. Approximately 400 of New York’s most prominent women attended this year’s Spirit of Achievement Luncheon that helped advance cutting-edge studies in breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers conducted by top medical scientists at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center.

Images courtesy of J. Torres Photography

Yves Klein was an artist in the truest sense. He took risks and broke rules for the sake of his personal expression. Fifty years after his death Klein is poised to shock the world once more and garner an estimated $30 Million for the sale of his masterpiece “‘Fire-Color 1’ (FC 1)”. The original work is to be sold as one of the highlights of Christie’s Post War & Contemporary Evening Sale on May 8th. In honor of this momentous occasion, Christie’s teamed up with La Mer and sponsored a screening of a short film about his life called La Revolution Bleu. The film is shot by and follows the artists from the start of his career to his untimely  death in 1962. It features authentic footage from the 60′s including a glimpse into Klein’s creative process.

The screening was held at NYC’s Paris theater and hosted by the beautiful January Jones. The actress who is best known for her role in Mad Men is also an avid art enthusiast and supporter of Oceana. Ms. Jones arrived to the event in a cloud of flashing bulbs as photographers tried desperately to  capture an image of her in her beautiful  Mary Katrantzou evening dress.  She accessorized the lovely peplum frock with Sergio Rossi heels and a Chanel clutch.

Guests of the Paris Theatre enjoyed gourmet popcorn and other movie going snacks during the screening and were treated to a fab after party courtesy of La Mer. The After Party was held at Casa Lever and featured the sounds of DJ Luca Tacon.  The soiree was the perfect excuse to mingle with the Rockefellers and January and learn more about this worthy cause. Jones’ participation in the event is part of her duties as ambassador to Oceana, a charitable cause whose mission is protect and preserve the world’s water ways. The non-profit depends on donations in order to continue their efforts. Klein’s estate is set to donate the proceeds from the sale of his original works via Christies Evening Sale to Oceana. These proceeds will fund efforts to protect marine life and educate humanity on the importance of our oceans. To learn more about Oceana visit www.oceana.org.

If you’re going to party anyway, why not attend an event that makes a difference? We were fortunate enough to find ourselves invited to the Reeves Foundation Champion Committee Spring Social. The event was held at Catch Rooftop, in NYC’s infamous meatpacking district. The cozy venue was packed with supporters of a the foundation and its mission to cure spinal injuries.  Guests enjoyed complimentary beverages and Hors d’oeuvres while grooving to the sounds of DJ Whoo Kid.  As a party with purpose the tickets are a mere $50 all of which is then used to fund research and treatment for people with paralyzing spinal injuries and their families.

The event kicked off the Spring series of parties all of which will feature celebrity guests and testimonies from the families and individuals being helped by the charity. We caught up with Model Selita Ebanks at last week’s rooftop soiree. Ebanks is also a proud member of the champions committee, providing her support when needed. To lend your support and find out more about the foundation and its mission visit www.christopherreeve.org

Earth day is still a few short weeks away but we got a jump start on the festivities at Christie’s Auction House while attending the “Green Auction”.  The yearly event raises funds for several Earth friendly causes by auctioning off donated gifts and various luxury items. The event begins with a fab cocktail party featuring passing edibles and beverages. This year the refreshments were sponsored by NYC’s Rouge Tomate as well as Grey Goose. Rouge kept the revelers fed with delicious gourmet treats. Grey Goose provided splendid cocktails, including a refreshing mixture developed just for the event called “Le Fizz”. Light and simple the beverage was a perfect fit for the evening as guests milled about admiring the gorgeous JW Marriot Lounge. The decadent space features reclaimed wood, stone washed walls and golden curtains emblazoned with the signature griffin. The lush setting was appropriate as philanthropists, celebrities and socialites bid on amazing items and initiatives.

Glenn Close

Coco Rocha

The theme for the evening was water, as such, many of the items auctioned revolved around water in one way or another.  The live auction which was officiated by the witty and sharp-tongued Lydia Fenet began with an amazing Scuba Diving trip with 2 of the world’s most successful divers, one of which holds the amazing distinction of having walked on the ocean floor on several expeditions. The biggest winner of the night was presented by Oceana. Their “Sail Aboard Hemisphere-The World’s Largest Luxury Sailing Catamaran”, fetched a winning bid of  one hundred fifty thousand dollars.  The night ended with an amazing set by bluesy rock star Grace Potter, who graced the stage without her band accompanied by a lone piano. Potter treated the crowd to 4 amazing tracks including the soulful “Nothing But the Water”

The Green Auction raised over half a million dollars in one night, the totality of which will be used to help its charities.  The beneficiaries include: The Central Park Conservancy, Oceana, Conservation International and NDRC. The money collected through the auction will benefit initiatives to protect waterways and endangered marine life across the globe. Though the generosity showed during the evening will assist with several important initiatives more funding is needed and will likely be gathered through the online auction.  The digital version will run until April 19th and includes some once in a lifetime opportunities such as a day with Bill Clinton and a day of shopping with Barney’s Simon Doonan. The bid on these items and many more please visit: http://bidtosavetheearth.charitybuzz.com. Life on earth cannot be sustained without a healthy clean source of water. These charities rely on the support and generosity of Earth;s inhabitants to make a difference.  Even if you find nothing you want in the online auction or you lose a bidding war, you can still lend your support by texting ‘GREEN’ to 8088 and donating ten dollars.

Clean drinking water seems like a a simple enough concept, but in this day and age it is a rarity in far too many communities across the globe.  Many families struggle to find and preserve water sources.  Their cries for help have not gone unheard, The Waterkeeper Alliance works hard to protect and preserve over 100,000 miles of  rivers, streams and coastline spreading over 6 continents. We caught up with the Waterkeepers at a fundraising art auction in NYC’s Chelsea Art District. The event was held at the beautiful Matthew Marks Gallery, which was filled with donated pieces from artists from all over the world.  The auction was attended by philanthropists, socialites, local celebrities and artists from all mediums of expression.  Many took their hand at bidding on the amazing pieces gracing the walls, while others waited for the live auction hoping to land the perfect piece. Along with the hanging works of art, guests enjoyed a performance by the legendary Deborah Harry.

The music icon was on hand to rock the house with a rousing performance, that kept the crowd jumping. Once she got the crowd amped it was time to get down to business as the live auction began.  Having heard speeches earlier in the evening about the importance of clean water and the value of the paintings featured art patrons dug deep into their wallets for the worthy cause of the Waterkeepers.

The alliance was founded by Robert F Kennedy Jr. and is made up of nearly 200 activists, environmentalists, teachers and attorney’s, all of which work to help provide cleaner water to communities in need. As a non-profit agency the alliance must rely on the generosity of strangers holding fund raisers to keep on fighting the good fight ensuring that miles of coastline are protected.  The agency doesn’t just make picket signs and raise funds, they tour the affected areas, talk to the people fight in the courtroom to change laws and punish offenders. To learn more about the ways you can help please visit waterkeeper.org.

Check out Deborah Harry‘s performance below.