Hailey's Hope Foundation

Supporting Families in the NICU

First Annual Cocktail Reception

Whitby Castle

Friday, April 17, 2009

[L-R: Members of Hailey's Hope Foundation together with Dr. Edmund La Gamma and his wife, Kalliope La Gamma]

Hailey’s Hope Foundation held its First Annual Cocktail Reception Fundraiser on April 17, 2009 at Whitby Castle in Rye. The event was a huge success! We raised over $34,000.00 to help fund our Financial Support Program (FSP), which provides financial assistance to NICU families in need at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital (Westchester Medical Center) in Valhalla, New York.

On a picture-perfect night, nearly 100 guests came out to join us for cocktails, food and fun. Our fabulous raffles filled the room with laughter and hilarious outbursts. During the evening, guests were given a glimpse into the NICU experience with an emotional photo slideshow and presentation. Our guest speaker, Dr. Edmund La Gamma, Chief of Newborn Medicine at MFCH, also highlighted the dire needs of NICU parents and complimented the positive impact our FSP has made on these families and the exposure we are bringing to a significant need unknown to many.

Reckson, a division of SL Green, and Omtool, Ltd., sponsored the event. In-kind sponsors included Sharp, Tiffany & Co., Thule, Inc., Frederic Fekkai Salon in New York City, and the Wechsler family. We are grateful for the generous support of these sponsors.

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity, Hailey’s Hope Foundation is dedicated to helping families in need who have premature and seriously ill babies hospitalized in the NICU. Since December 2007, our Foundation has helped over 120 families at MFCH pay for essential non-medical expenses, such as hotel lodging, transportation, food and hospital parking. All of our eight members know from personal experience how frightening and stressful a NICU hospitalization can be, and we feel blessed to be able to help these families through this difficult time. For additional information about how you can join us to spread Hailey’s Hope, please call us at (845) 837-1182.