Yankees legend Mariano Rivera will be honored with Friends of Karen’s Humanitarian Award at the charity’s gala benefit “An Evening in Venice” on June 14, 2014, at the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club. The award is in recognition of Mr. Rivera’s varied activities to help Friends of Karen’s children, from donating autographed baseballs and caps to visiting the home of a youngster battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to cheer him up.
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer and former president of The Junior League of Northern Westchester Becki Fleischer will receive the Sheila W. Petersen Award. Named in honor of Friends of Karen’s founder, this award is given to persons who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to Friends of Karen’s mission and children.
John Berman, co-anchor of CNN’s “Early Start with John Berman & Christine Romans” and of @THISHOUR will be the Master of Ceremonies for the gala benefit. In his two decades of television news reporting, Mr. Berman has covered stories ranging from the milestone 2008 Presidential election to the war in Iraq, from the steroids scandal in American sports to the best way to catch catfish barehanded.
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Proceeds from the gala will benefit the hundreds of children battling cancer or another life-threatening illness in the tri-state area whose families turn to Friends of Karen for help every day.
“Friends of Karen started with one child in 1978 and since then we’ve touched the lives of more than 13,000 children,” says Judith Factor, the charity’s Executive Director. “Our honorees are incredibly generous in spreading the word about the Friends of Karen lifeline.”
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Friends of Karen is the only organization in the New York Tri-state area that provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to families caring for a child with cancer or another life-threatening illness, from diagnosis through treatment. Driven by compassion for families facing the most difficult experience imaginable, Friends of Karen helps free them of everyday needs and concerns, so they have more time to love.
Friends of Karen serves all qualified families without regard to race, religion, or national origin. For more information, visit www.FriendsOfKaren.org or call (914) 617-4042.
