Far from the traffic, the lights, and the noise of New York City, for one night, on the occasion of A Chance in Life‘s 79th Gala, Cipriani 25 Broadway’s great hall was set with the magic of Peter Pan’s Neverland. “It is the place where lost boys and girls find hope, love, and a supportive community like ours,” said Gabriele Delmonaco, President and CEO of the nonprofit organization which gives new opportunities to children living in difficult conditions.
On stage, Captain Hook opened the evening as Tinker Bell circulated among tables of philanthropists, business leaders and supporters of A Chance in Life activities, which serve some 6,000 children in 12 countries across the world. “Leave all worries out of the room and let the stories of these kids inspire, engage, and persuade you to transform a life,” Delmonaco invited the audience to participate in the live auction which collected $560,000.
During the dinner, the organization recognized four honorees for their dedication to making a positive impact on society. Chief Data Officer of JP Morgan Chase, Mark Birkhead; Owner of Michael-Towne Wines & Spirits Inc. Michael Correra; Radio Host of The Metropolitan Opera, Debra Lew Harder; Sons of Italy Foundation President Joseph Sciame, and CEO of Digimentors Sree Sreenivasan. They were celebrated for their unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for young people. The honorees shared their personal stories that motivated them to take action and start donating—one raised by a lonely and depressed mother, another came back to their original birthplace to give children the chances they did not have, and so on.
One of the boys who grew up in the “Repubblica dei Ragazzi” also took the stage to share his story. A donor, a guardian angel, allowed Daniele to be accepted into A Chance In Life’s special program that ensures that young people who do not have it easy because they were abandoned by their parents or in poor conditions can train, educate themselves, live in the community and fit into society. “I went to the beach, I made friends who only cared who I was not where I came from, my world became in color again,” confessed Daniel. Nowadays, after becoming the “most requested mayor of the Repubblica dei Ragazzi,” he is ready to follow his dream: to open his tattoo store and buy a house for and with his mother.
The evening concluded by announcing a $125,000 mega-donation from Guy Chiarello, Fiserv’s chief operating officer and a longtime major benefactor of A Chance In Life.
