Town & Country articles from June 2007

Town & Country archives from June 2007

Philanthropy packs a punch.(EDITOR'S LETTER)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... TWO YEARS AGO, when we made our first attempt to cover charitable giving in a serious and ongoing way, we devoted forty-five pages to the subject. Last year we gave over the entire feature well, plus some regular departments. Now, in this...

In your own words ...(READER MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Because Town & Country's April green issue prompted so many thoughtful letters, including numerous tips for nurturing the environment, we're devoting this month's column to several of them. One simple way of going green was passed on to me...

Splendor in the Bay City.(PARTIES: San Francisco Ballet)(the ballet company's seventy fourth season celebrations)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Places of Pride: The San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet company in the U.S., celebrated its seventy-fourth season with a spectacular opening-night gala that united 1,000 guests at three distinguished venues, including the...

Solid evidence.(PARTIES: Evidence Dance Company)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A Great Mix: When you combine African, Latin-American and Caribbean dance forms with modern ballet, you get the refreshingly original Evidence Dance Company. The Brooklyn, New York-based ensemble gave a stellar performance at its third annual...

Phoenix rising.(PARTIES: Phoenix Art Museum)(completion of the expansion done to the Phoenix Art Museum building)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Urban Renewal: The Phoenix Art Museum celebrated the completion of its $50 million expansion by throwing a great big black-tie fete with a teeny-tiny name. Called simply "the pARTy," the event attracted more than 1,000 prominent Phoenicians to...

Ideals on wheels.(PARTIES: Citymeals-on-Wheels)
June 1, 2007... Rainbow Coalition: There are ladies who lunch, and then there are women who power lunch. More than 300 of the latter filled Manhattan's famed Rainbow Room for an afternoon in support of Citymeals-on-Wheels, which delivers healthy food to New...

For the children.(ON THE TOWN)
June 1, 2007... When we look out for society's youngest members, we pave the way for a better future.

Compassion on canvas.(ON THE TOWN)(The Memory Project)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Like many great charities, THE MEMORY PROJECT started as a crazy idea. In 2004, a year out of the University of Wisconsin, twenty-one-year-old Ben Schumaker could not stop thinking about the children he had met during a postgraduation volunteer...

From the heart.(ON THE TOWN)(Petra Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund, an organization aimed to help children affected by disasters)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Petra Nemcova is a supermodel with heart. The Czech beauty and Sports Illustrated swimsuit-issue favorite was vacationing with her boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, in Thailand when the tsunami struck, in 2004. He was swept away; she...

Sowing the seeds.(ON THE TOWN)
June 1, 2007... Alice Waters is a famous chef and former teacher intent on improving public education. New Orleans is a city where chefs are revered and whose public schools are ranked among the lowest in the nation. So when Waters responded to the ravages of...

Pitching in.(ON THE TOWN)(baseball player Jamie Moyer's charity work)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The story of Babe Ruth hitting a home run in 1926 for a hospitalized eleven-year-old boy has become the stuff of American folklore, and the enduring connection between baseball heroes and children continues to this day. Seven years ago, when he...

The perks of philanthropy.(ON THE TOWN)
June 1, 2007... When you buy a bag of coffee from CITY KID JAVA, your money does more than get you a great cuppa joe; it helps promote the education and welfare of disadvantaged kids. The beans (whole or ground) are available online and in many grocery stores...

Child care.(ON THE TOWN)
June 1, 2007... For the beautifully documented Women Empowered (Rizzoli; $29.95), photographer Phil Borges teamed up with CARE to showcase the extraordinary women who are making monumental changes that directly affect future generations in poverty-stricken...

Great 'scapes.(IN THE COUNTRY)(The Cultural Landscape Foundation)
June 1, 2007... Charles Birnbaum is a man making a difference. He is also a man with a peeve: "We have cultural amnesia when it comes to landscapes," he says. "We need to cherish them not just as beautiful places but as historic treasures." Through his...

Sharing the glove.(IN THE COUNTRY)(West County Gardener donated gloves to Habitat for Humanity and Alice Waters's Edible Schoolyard)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... We knew that West County Gardener made good gardening gloves, so we were thrilled to learn that it does good deeds, too. Every year since 2004 the company's founder, Beverly Schor, has donated hundreds of pairs to such worthwhile organizations...

Letting the river run.(IN THE COUNTRY)(From the Bottom Up)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... When he was just twenty-two, Chad Pregracke made it his mission to clean up the entire length of the Mississippi River. And when he had that huge project well under way, he expanded his goal to include all of America's rivers. In his new...

Summer's fun raisers.(IN THE COUNTRY)
June 1, 2007... An event-full evening under the stars is irresistible to nonprofits and benefactors alike. So check out these highlights of the season's charity circuit, throw your party shoes into that weekend tote, and be on your way--just don't forget your...

Yurie Pascarella.(FASHION & STYLE)(Interview)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... BACKGROUND An avid equestrian, Yurie was born and raised in Tokyo, where she met businessman Carl Pascarella, her husband of twenty-one years. The couple moved to San Francisco seventeen years ago and has since supported many of the city's...

Purchasing power: sales generated by these chic items support wonderful charities.(FASHION & STYLE)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2007... TITO PEDRINI Amanda rings ($7,500 each), 212-888-3355. Five percent of sales fund colorectal research at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LAUREN MERKIN Charlotte clutch ($285), laurenmerkin.com....

Seeing red.(FASHION & STYLE)
June 1, 2007... U2 front man Bono has been a champion of African causes for two decades. In 2006 he teamed up with Bobby Shriver--son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver--to launch (Red), an initiative that fights HIV/AIDS in Africa by partnering with retailers to...

Kiss for a cause.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... Thanks to these do-good lip colors, the world's improving one smooch at a time. Clockwise from left: M.A.C's Viva Glam 1 ($14; maccos metics.com) is the first in a collection of six shades whose proceeds go to the M.A.C AIDS fund. TRISH...

Cosmetics crusader.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... ELETTRA ROSSELLINI WIEDEMANN has recently stepped into a role that her celebrated mother, Isabella Rossellini, once played so beautifully: the face of Lancome cosmetics. Here, the new spokesmodel (left) tells Town & Country how she brought her...

Red alert.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(Red-y nail polish from OPI Products Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the nail-care company OPI pitched in with support for recovery efforts: CEO George Schaeffer and his charity, the Schaeffer Family Foundation, rallied OPI's employees and raised more than $350,000 for the...

A scent that hits home.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... Say yes to designer KENNETH COLE'S invitation to help the homeless, and snatch up his newest men's fragrance, R.S.V.P. (3.4 oz, $59.50). Part of its proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity, the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and HELP...

Redken is working to restore cancer patients' self-confidence strand by strand with Inspire Change, the company's partnership with Couture for Cancer.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... Redken is working to restore cancer patients' self-confidence strand by strand with Inspire Change, the company's partnership with Couture for Cancer. Founded by Redken salon owner Mario Mazza, Couture for Cancer supplies customized hair...

Beauty benefits.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... Reward yourself--and others. These luxury goods not only cater to your cosmetic needs but also support worthy causes. Clockwise from top: The SARAH, DUCHESS OF YORK scented-candle collection (Loyal-Ty candle, shown, $49.50; at Bath & Body Works...

India's inspiration.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
June 1, 2007... Former model INDIA HICKS first invited us on a virtual tour of the Bahamas, where she's lived for more than ten years, in her book Island Beauty (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; $27.50), which mesmerized us with views of soft sands and azure waters....

30-minute hair repair.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)(Pashah Salon of Manhattan)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... We sent a T&C editor to Manhattan's Pashah Salon to sample a Yarok Sensory Treatment, a thirty-minute at-home (2 oz, $50) or in-salon ($65) remedy for overprocessed hair, to be administered by the creator himself, Mordechai Alvow. Of his seven...

Generous gestures: how philanthropy gives an indispensable boost to the creative scene.(ARTS & CULTURE)
June 1, 2007... RAVINIA'S MUSICAL RICHES No American summer music festival is dearer to the hearts of its local patrons than Ravinia, which has been thriving for nearly a hundred years in the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The festival had its...

Keeping Ravinia in Clover.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... There are a host of ways that philanthropic folks can support the festival. Depending on the level at which they give (from $250 to $20,000), donors to the Annual Fund receive such benefits as early entry to the park--which means access to the...

Arts angels.(ARTS & CULTURE)
June 1, 2007... Arts Angels The extraordinary construction boom at cultural institutions nationwide wouldn't be possible without the largesse of local patrons. Here, the brightest new cultural gems--and the top donors who helped buildings rise and...

George Washington, ladies' man.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In 1853 South Carolina native Ann Pamela Cunningham learned that Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate where George Washington lived from 1754 until his death, in 1799, was at risk of crumbling. In response, the proto-preservationist began a...

Arts for kids.(ARTS & CULTURE)
June 1, 2007... What do actress Vanessa Williams, novelist Allegra Goodman and artist John Currin have in common? All are proud alumni of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, a nonprofit in Miami, Florida, that identifies and rewards...

Designed for giving.(ARTS & CULTURE)
June 1, 2007... The prodigious successes of entrepreneurial Seattle-area companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks have spawned many attendant art collectors over the past two decades, and the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has just reopened in newly expanded...

Seeing (and saving) the tiger: catching a glimpse of an elusive Bengal tiger isn't the only draw for visitors to India's Ranthambore National Park. The Khem Villas eco-luxury hotel, along with its owners, is helping to preserve the endangered species one guest at a time.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)
June 1, 2007... IT IS IN the hopes of catching sight of the elusive Bengal tiger that I have come to the mythical lake lands and forested hillsides of Ranthambore National Park, in Rajasthan, India. Here some thirty-five tigers roam free within 94,000 open,...

Sea of change.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(SEACOLOGY services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Since its creation by ethnobotanist Paul Cox, in 1992, the California-based SEACOLOGY foundation has initiated projects to help presewe the natural resources and cultures in coastal regions around the world, from Alaska to Zanzibar. For the...

Accessible expeditions.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... For people in wheelchairs or with severe physical disabilities, setting up camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon has never been an option. With advancements in technology and the launching of ALPENGLOW ADVENTURES, however, disabled travelers...

Wearing your heart on your handbag.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)
June 1, 2007... This burlap-and-muslin bag may look unassuming, but in fact it makes quite a statement: "Feed the Children of the World." Those words, printed on one side of the carryall, are the mantra of First Niece Lauren Bush, the honorary spokesperson of...

Carpets with a conscience.(DESIGN TRENDS)
June 1, 2007... Rug weaving is a big business in Asia and eastern Europe; it is also a trade associated with illegal child labor and explorative wages. Three industry players are doing their part to change the status quo by improving the lives of their...

Betting the house.(DESIGN TRENDS)(donations for restoration of museums)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Last December the board of Colonial Williamsburg announced that it would sell Carter's Grove, one of the most spectacular Georgian-style mansions and plantations in the country. The sale, forced by a lack of visitors, brings fresh attention to...

Serena & Lily.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... Can't bear to toss your little one's outgrown SERENA & LILY crib bedding? Donate it to Baby Buggy, which distributes child-care goods to New York City mothers in need, and receive a $100 Serena & Lily credit for outfitting your big kid's...

Mrs. John L. Strong.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, in New York, will receive 10 percent of the proceeds from sales of MRS. JOHN L. STRONG's engraved Bunny Hop note cards and hand-lined, flocked-linen envelopes ($40 for a set of eight), mrsstrong.com. ...

Alpha Workshops.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... Nonprofit ALPHA WORKSHOPS trains New Yorkers with HIV or AIDS who have design skills to create hand-painted and hand-stamped wallpaper. This season Alpha is wild about leaf patterns, shown above on the Kent Brighton wallpaper ($78 per yard) and...

Aid to Artisan.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... Since 1976 the nonprofit group AID TO ARTISANS has brought handmade decorative items from third-world villages to the global marketplace. These papier-mache nesting bowls are made in South Africa by HIV-positive women ($125 for a five-piece...

Tessera.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... TESSERA's vintage and reproduction textiles from Uzbekistan create a posh seating area or worldly bedroom. One percent of sales funds schools for Uzbeki children (pillows from $350; suzanis $800-$6,500). At Barneys New York, NYC, 888-8-BARNEYS....

Daisy Dog Studio.(DESIGN TREND)
June 1, 2007... Bring summer cheer to the breakfast table with DAISY DOG STUDIO's porcelain honeypot ($30) and tray ($50). Five percent of sales benefit several animal charities, daisydogstudio.com.

One hundred and one donations: it may be better to give than to receive, but being a benefactor can also be exhausting.(SOCIAL GRACES)
June 1, 2007... A FEW YEARS AGO, I was walking through Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square on a summer afternoon with my oldest sister, Deborah. Up ahead, we spotted a shiftless and suntanned panhandler who was a fixture in this neighborhood back then. As usual,...

In plain sight: on 350,000 pristine acres in Tanzania, wildlife management, tourism and service to community combine in an ambitious effort that--if it succeeds--will benefit all involved.
June 1, 2007... It may be the elephants that never forget, but seeing them in the wild is something you'll always remember. Although they are slow and lumbering, there is an endearing quality to ellies, as they are called, that is tender to behold. Nature...

The Torchbearer: actress Marlo Thomas keeps her famous father's dream alive--and with it, thousands of children.
June 1, 2007... "He'd play tapes of his nightclub act for me, and he'd constantly rewind and fast-forward, gauging audience reaction," says actress and philanthropist Marlo Thomas, speaking of her late father, entertainer Danny Thomas. "He'd say, 'See, Mugsy?...

Life supporter: Sheila Johnson puts women and children first--not just by giving to them, but by motivating, educating and celebrating them.
June 1, 2007... "I have two passions," says Sheila Johnson, "the empowerment of young people and women. There are too many kids out there, especially young women, who have low self-esteem and weight and abuse issues. They need to feel valued." They could...

Dough boy: Billy Shore has spent more than two decades raising money to fight hunger in America.
June 1, 2007... CAMPAIGN MANAGER Billy Shore was coming off Gary Hart's failed 1984 presidential run when he read that 200,000 Ethiopians faced imminent death by starvation. "That is a huge catastrophe," he recalls thinking. Then he realized, "My God, I'm...

Road warrior: he's a father, but Glynn Birch is steering Mothers Against Drunk Driving to success. Here's why.
June 1, 2007... On a beautiful morning of blue sky and gentle breezes, Glynn Birch stands by a small gravestone and tells a story that is every parent's nightmare: Courtney, Birch's twenty-one-month-old son, heard an ice-cream truck's bell and toddled into the...

Deep-sea dynasty: the Cousteau family is legendary, its work extraordinary. And those efforts continue, on behalf of the oceans and of life itself.
June 1, 2007... In 1944, when he was seven years old, his dad strapped a scuba tank to his back and pushed him overboard, into the Mediterranean Sea. "I became an explorer at an early age," says Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of famed underwater filmmaker and ocean...

Role model: Iman's cause is not just close to her heart--it's close to home.(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... Long before Iman became an international supermodel, she was a diplomat's child who had been blessed by unusually benevolent fates. "I was taken to school in a chauffeur-driven car, and I had this very privileged life," she says. Then came...

T&C's guide to intelligent giving: how to turn your charitable instincts into philanthropy that truly works for change--in the world and in yourself.
June 1, 2007... EVERYONE WHO considers contributing to a cause, be it with time, talent or treasure, wants to see tangible results--the specific positive difference his or her gifts will make. Otherwise, what's the point? Yet effective philanthropy is...

Weddings.
June 1, 2007... Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Robert Ross (Alexis Felker Hershenhorn) Lake Forest, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Jason Eliot Tiret (Tiffany Shizu Fujita) San Francisco, California Mr. and Mrs. Keith Shui (Ryan Kimberly Graessle) Carmel, Indiana ...

Horoscopes.
June 1, 2007... Gemini May 22-June 21 Whatever you did or said last month must have been exactly what was called for. Glorious aspects occurring throughout the first two weeks of June indicate that you're positively golden in everyone's eyes. Associates...