JEAN SHAFIROFF & SURGEONS OF HOPE GALA IS GREAT VIRTUAL SUCCESS

Jean Shafiroff

 Surgeons of Hope’s 2020 gala – its 8th annual gala and first virtual gala – was a great success! The Celebrating Our Heart Heroes gala, chaired by philanthropist and author Jean Shafiroff, exceeded its fundraising goals. The success allows Surgeons of Hope to continue to train local pediatric cardiac teams and provide lifesaving surgery for poor children with heart conditions in Latin America in 2021. To date, Surgeons of Hope has saved the lives of thousands of children in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Paraguay.

 

 The November 12th gala was virtual this year due to Covid-19. Hundreds of attendees joined the gala from the comfort of their own homes around the globe. All enjoyed the evening hosted by the renowned Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, who also ran the night’s live auction. Among the items bid on during the event were a vacation at a luxury villa in Mexico, a weekend escape with views of Connecticut’s Thimble Islands, ½-day New York Harbor excursion, and a cooking workshop with Patricia Cartin.

 

 In addition to the auction, attendees were entertained by a performance by the jazz-inspired Acute Inflections and saw heart-warming stories of some of the children the organization has helped and the medical teams who have made it possible. Tickets to the gala were free, but many attendees supported Surgeons of Hope by purchasing Benefactor Heart Hero packages. For their support, they enjoyed the gala with luxurious perks including a gourmet three-course meal prepared by Benoit and accompanied by Dom Perignon champagne or a chef-prepared custom meal by The Connected Chef delivered to their homes to enjoy during the gala. Other Benefactors received a gala gift box filled with champagne, flutes, La Maison du Chocolat chocolates and a Voluspa candle. 

 

“Our virtual format this year allowed so many people who would not have been able to travel to New York to attend in person to join us on this celebratory evening. Some were across town, some were across the country, and others across an ocean. Everyone, no matter where they were, thoroughly enjoyed the evening and applauded the work of our great medical teams and celebrated the lives of the children we’ve helped,” said Surgeons of Hope Executive Director Victoria Flamant. “We are grateful for their participation and support, and thrilled they were passionate about our mission and ensuring we reached and surpassed our gala goals. We can’t thank everyone enough.”

 

 Publicis Groupe was the presenting sponsor for the 2020 gala. Additional sponsors were Full Circle, Soma, and Acker Wines. 

 

Surgeons of Hope (SOH) is a New York-based 501c3 non-profit organization that helps children with congenital and acquired heart disease. Surgeons of Hope works directly with children’s hospitals in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Paraguay to provide urgently needed heart surgeries, cultivate skills in the local medical teams, and expand access to pediatric cardiac services for poor children. Since the onset of COVID-19, Surgeons of Hope has also supplied its partners with the crucial medical supplies and medication needed to continue providing lifesaving heart operations for children in need. For more information on Surgeons of Hope, visit www.surgeonsofhope.org.