The Martha Blog » Giving

A terrific evening for the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai

Martha Stewart — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:01:18 +0000

Two nights ago, I hosted the second annual gala for the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai. This is a special project I have been involved with for more than five years and is something very dear to my heart. When it opened, I dedicated the center to my beloved mother, who passed away two years ago this month at the age of ninety-three. The Center for Living is designed to provide out patients with whole patient care, including medical examinations, advice about diet and exercise, and the all important need for care giving. Simply stated, the main focus of the center is to teach how to grow old gracefully, something we should all start focusing on around the age of fifty.

The gala, held at my office in the Starrett Lehigh bulding in Manhattan, was a huge success with 375 guests in attendance. At the end of the evening, which included an auction, more than one million dollars was raised. The food was exquisitely prepared by Chef Pierre Schaedelin, who is now executive chef and part owner of Benoit in New York City. www.benoitny.com Sir Harold Evans, the legendary editor and journalist was our honoree of the evening and the event was emceed by Liz Smith. I wish to thank all who contributed and a special thanks to Jean Graham, Heather Kirkland, and Erin Fury, from our corporate events department, for all of their hard work in making this evening so wonderful. There is still time to bid on some great items to contribute to the Center for Living by visiting Charitybuzz.com.

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1 Tina Brown, Sir Harold Evans, and me DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

2 Here I am with Jim Cramer.

3 My daughter, Alexis, joined me for the occasion DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

4 Here I am with Tina Brown DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

5 Liz Smith, the Grand Dame of Dish, was our emcee for the evening.

6 With Liz Smith and Charles Koppelman - our Chairman of the Board DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

7 Here I am with Ed Victor and his mother-in-law - Florence Boggs - nearly 106 years old!

8 Robin Marino and Kevin Sharkey DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

9 Posing with Cynthia McFadden of Nightline and my niece, Sophie Herbert Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

10 Susan Magrino, her mother Mary Cross, me, and Allyn Magrino Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

11 With my friend, Dan Shedrick Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

12 Dr. Al Siu and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

13 With Larry Shire Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 200 © Patrick McMullan

14 Posing with Gerri Kyhill and Charles Koppelman Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

15 Dr. Brent Ridge, me, and Josh Kilmer-Purcell Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

16 Matthew Axe, Alex Postman, and Katie Hatch Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

17 Mark Ingram and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

18 Memrie Lewis and Holly Bannister Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

19 Darcy Miller with Sophie Herbert - my niece, and Christopher Herbert - my nephew

20 Michael Citro, Laura Blau, Muffin Dowdle, and Peter Michaelis

21 Steven Doyle - Gael Towey's husband and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

22 Here I am with Marc Lowenberg and Greg Lituchi Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING 2009 © Patrick McMullan

23 Jeffrey Brown and Robin Marino Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

24 Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, and me Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

25 Barry and Diana Levinson Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

26 Pomegranate martinis Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

27 Chateau St Jean donated all of the white wine for the evening

28 The vodka for the martinis - Imperia, of course Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

29 The tables were set in the clerestory Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

30 I contributed some of my photographs for the auction.

31 Other various auction items and bidding forms

32 These items were also available for bidding on Charitybuzz.com - some are still open.

33 Here is one of the stations set up for bidding.

34 The room was decorated with large stained plywood squares with silhouettes of bonsai trees made from white and silver vinyl.

35 Another image

36 And another

37 The logo for the Center for Living

38 Chef Pierre Schaedelin and famed Alain Ducasse

39 Pierre's menu taped in the kitchen area for easy reference

40 These racks held the lobster salad awaiting to be dressed and served.

41 The first course was a colorful lobster Salad consisting of lobster, lettuce cup, heart of palm, green beans, avocado, tomato, and grapefruit.

42 Dr. Audrey Chun addressing the room

43 Dr. Dennis Charney

44 Here I am thanking everyone for coming. Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

45 My image up on the big screen

46 Pierre keeping a watchful eye over every detail

47 A very efficient assembly line

48 Pierre manning the ovens

49 The pace was fast in the kitchen.

50 The main course was salmon en croute served with carrot puree, spinach, and tarragon sauce.

51 The parade of food emerges from the kitchen.

52 The auctioneer for the evening

53 The Charitybuzz.com representative received bids by cell phone.

54 Dessert was a wonderful meringue shell filled with chestnut mousse.

55 Piping the filling into each shell

56 Candied marron garnished the top.

57 Cynthia McFadden and Sophie Herbert Photo - DAVID X PRUTTING/ PatrickMcMullan.com====

58 Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth - the drummer for N.E.D, a rock band made up of six doctors.

59 Karen Hart - Steve Schwarz's daughter on the board of the Brookdale foundation and my friend, Ralph Robbins

If everyone gave just one dollar!

Martha Stewart — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:01:20 +0000

In case you did not read my blog last week about the Martha Stewart Center for Living Gala, which is happening on November 10^th, I am posting this request again. The Center for Living is the premier facility for the coordinated and comprehensive out patient care of older adults who still lead robust and vital lives. The Center is dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother, who passed away at 93 and who still remains very dear to my heart. In this tough economic environment, I am asking everyone who reads my blog or tweets to please click on the link below and donate $1, $3, $5, $10, or whatever you can spare. Thank you all for your support. www.marthastewart.com/centerforliving.

Also, don't forget to go to Charitybuzz.com where you can bid on some really great items:

Dinner at my house

A private garden tour of my property (I will lead the garden tour along with my gardener) and lunch.

A paid intership at MSLO

AND MUCH MORE!! BID TODAY!

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1 Here I am with my beloved late mother and my niece Sophie at the ground- breaking for the Center for Living in 2006.

2 Deborah Quilter leads a chair yoga class

3 Margaret King, age 97, stands with her hands in prayer position in yoga class.

4 Beatrice Dryer sits in the lobby of the Martha Stewart Center for living at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Behind her, a photograph of a bonsai tree, a symbol of longevity, strength, and beauty. Photograph by John Huba

5 Audrey K. Chun, MD. Medical Director, Martha Stewart Center for Living

The Martha Stewart Center for Living's second annual gala benefit

Martha Stewart — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:01:57 +0000

Yesterday, I arrived in San Diego, California, to attend the hugely popular TEDMED conference with Dr. Audrey Chun of the Martha Stewart Center for Living. TEDMED, which was created by the founder of the TED conferences, Richard Saul Wurman, is a gathering of some of the most innovative minds exploring the intersection and connections between all things medical and heath care related. The health care demands and the caregiving of our aging population are issues that affect the lives of each and every one of us and our loved ones. We are eager to discuss these issues with such an engaged group. Not long after we return to New York, I will be hosting the Center for Living's second annual gala benefit. We are grateful, in a year that has been challenging for so many organizations, to be celebrating this positive milestone. Please visit marthastewart.com/centerforliving for information about our upcoming gala.

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1 My mother, Big Martha, on her 93rd birthday

2 The art of bonsai is all about longevity and I decided to make it the symbol of the Center for Living.

3 Here is our logo.

4 At last years gala the center pieces were all bonsai trees donated by Shanti Bithi nursery in Stamford, Connecticut.

5 Here I am giving last years address.

6 There was a very good turnout - here I am with Chevy Chase!

Emeril, Tommy, Jessica and others all come together at Macys

Martha Stewart — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:01:01 +0000

One of the things I've been working on with Macy's is a project called Come Together, which we launched on September 15th. My friend, Chef Emeril Lagasse and I helped to host a special VIP dinner party held at Macy's flagship store at Herald Square in New York City. The purpose of the Come Together campaign is to help fight domestic hunger. Macy's is urging people to host dinner parties in their homes and to have their guests pledge a donation to Feeding America. In return, Macy's will match these donations dollar-for-dollar until the total goal of 10 million meals is reached. It's interesting to note that one dollar provides dinner for seven. You can find out more details and other ways of contributing at macys.com/cometogether. And if you haven't already seen this commercial on television, please enjoy

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1 Here we are lined up on the red carpet at the Macy's flagship Herald Square store.

2 My good friend Emeril Lagasse and me - by the way, my jacket is a Kiton.

3 Entertainment Tonight stopped by to interview us.

4 Here I am with talk show host, Wendy Williams.

5 Tommy Hilfiger - fashion designer and me

6 The table set for the VIP dinner party

7 Tommy Hilfiger, me, Terry Lundgren - CEO of Macy's, and Robin Marino - CEO of MSLO

8 Here I am with Chef Todd English - he injured his eye while playing sports.

9 Terry Lundgren speaking about how wonderful Come Together is

10 I also was asked to speak.

11 And so did Emeril

12 Vicki Escarra - CEO of Feeding America

13 Actor - David Arquette

14 Me, Emeril, and David

15 Before dinner was served, the guests were entertained by.......

16 Straight No Chaser - a really good acapella singing group. They actually sang together in college several years ago. One member of the group posted an old video of them on YouTube and they became on overnight success.

Helping the SPCA in Maine

Martha Stewart — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:01:28 +0000

Our final destination of our road trip was to spend a few days at Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine. After we said goodbye to Jill, who went off to visit her daughter at camp, Hannah, Barbara, and I found many fun and interesting things to do. One afternoon, we attended a fundraising event for the SPCA of Hancock County. Their plan is to raise enough funding to build a new state-of-the-art shelter, adoption center, and community education facility to provide a comfortable and caring temporary home for lost, stray, abused or abandoned animals in the region.

Beneath a tent on a bright and sunny day, there were many booths set up offering products and services to support this cause. It was there that I became aware of the Mount Desert Island Pet Food Pantry, which helps those in need with feeding their pets. There is a growing problem with many people who can no longer afford the cost of pet food and I wanted to contribute something to the pantry. My company has a partnership with Purina and feeding shelter animals and helping financially challenged families with pets is a top priority for both Purina and MSLO. I arranged to send the pantry coupons for 200 free bags of dog or cat food to provide some support for the animals in that area.

And remember that you can help, too! Just pledge to help out at a local animal shelter or help create awareness of shelter pets at www.bemyhero.com. When you do, Purina ONE will make a donation of $5 up to $500,000 towards pets in need. Francesca, Sharkey, and I have already pledged!

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Picture 1 of 31: Here I am under the tent at the SPCA event. Francesca and Sharkey were so excited to be there.

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Be My Hero, my pledge for a most worthy cause

Martha Stewart — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:01:58 +0000

Iâ€™d like to tell you about a campaign that weâ€™re launching today with Nestle Purina PetCare, the primary sponsor of our pets channel on marthastewart.com. The â€œBe My Heroâ€ campaign encourages people to make a pledge to help homeless animals by volunteering in a local shelter or adopting a pet in need of a home. To support this campaign, I pledge to do everything I can to raise awareness about animal adoption through shelters. Did you know that -

- Approximately five to seven million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year and approximately three to four million are euthanized due to a lack of space or resources to adequately care for them.

- Twenty five percent of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.

-It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the US; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.

- Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.
The average cost of basic food, supplies, and medical care and training for a dog or cat is $775 annually.
(Source: ASPCA)

Over the years, I have adopted many of my cherished pets from shelters, including my cats Chigi-Toto, New Kitty, China Cat and Chow Chow Empress Wu. They have all been wonderful companions and there are countless others like them in need of home, particularly in the current economic downturn when many families can no longer afford to feed and care for their furry friends.

Please join me in this effort by visiting www.bemyhero.com . When you complete the volunteer questionnaire, Purina ONE will make a donation of $5 up to $500,000 to participating One Hope Network Shelters. I hope you will also consider opening your home (and your heart) to a dog or cat in need.

Be sure to visit our pets site on marthastewart.com/pets to see how my pets are volunteering to support this cause!

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Picture 1 of 11: My very first cat was Chiggi, who was adopted from a shelter.

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The Martha Stewart Culinary Herb Garden at the NYBG and My Favorite Summer Cocktails

Martha Stewart — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:01:02 +0000

Last weekend, I attended the opening of the Edible Garden at the New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, New York. Last winter, Gregory Long, who runs the NYBG, asked me if I would be interested in being a part of this project. I, of course, told him to count me in and said I would be very pleased to create a Culinary Herb Garden . I enlisted my team of garden experts and we set out to redesign the NYBG's historic Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden, which had previously been planted with mostly medicinal herbs. Our new design includes more than 50 types of culinary herbs from around the world, including French tarragon, sorrel, English thyme, Italian parsley, Mexican cilantro, Greek oregano, and Japanese saltwort. All of these wonderful herbs were donated by my friend, Sal Glibertie, who is the largest herb plant grower in the country.

It was a fun-filled day with talks from experts in the local and sustainable food movement and demonstrations by world-renowned chefs. I took part in a panel discussion and then made some of my favorite summer cocktails with an herbal theme.

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Picture 1 of 20: Here's a nice overview of the Culinary Herb Garden.

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PURPLE-BASIL MOJITO

Look for purple basil (opal basil) at gourmet or farmers' markets

1 lime wedge

2 sprigs of purple basil

Fill tumbler with ice and add

2 tablespoons light rum

1 tablespoon simple syrup

SIMPLE SYRUP (Makes 3 Â½ cups)

3 cups sugar

3 cups water

Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Let cool completely. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month

MARTHA-TINI

Pour into a large pitcher of ice:

Â¾ bottle Hendricks Gin or Imperia Vodka

2 cups simple syrup

2 cups fresh limejuice

1 cup St. Germain Elderflower liqueur

1/8 cup pomegranate extract

A celebration for the new High Line

Martha Stewart — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:01:10 +0000

On Monday, June 1st, I attended a dinner held on the High Line in New York City. This dinner was hosted by media mogul, Barry Diller and his wife, the fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. It was in honor of the many supporters of the High Line. The High Line is an elevated rail viaduct that runs for 1.45 miles, from West 34^th Street down nearly 30 blocks, along the edge of the Hudson River. Prior to its construction in the 1930â€™s, 10^th Avenue was referred to as â€œDeath Avenue.â€ It was a neighborhood of very busy freight warehouses and shipping terminals. And with freight trains running at the same level as cars, pedestrians, and horse-drawn carts, many serious accidents occurred. Things became a whole lot safer when the High Line was built. It was a solution that raised the rails, allowing other traffic to move beneath the trains.

Of course, at that time, no one knew that eventually air travel and trucking would bring a decline in ocean and rail traffic. Or, that this major infrastructure for ships and trains in Manhattan would one day be abandoned. For many years there was disagreement about what should become of the High Line. There were those who wanted it demolished. Fortunately, a non-profit group called Friends of the Highline was formed, and they worked steadfastly to preserve the structure. Their dream to turn it into a grand, public promenade for residents and visitors to enjoy has come to fruition and later this month, the first section will open to the public.

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Picture 1 of 22: Here I am with actress Candice Bergen, her husband Marshall Rose, and Sandy Gallin.

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The Spring 2009 Dia Beacon Benefit

Martha Stewart — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:01:02 +0000

Last Sunday I attended a benefit for Dia:Beacon up on the banks of the majestic Hudson River in Beacon, NY. Dia:Beacon is a fantastic museum housed in the former National Biscuit Carton Making and Printing Plant. Dia obtained the building in 1999 with the intention of using this massive space to house its renowned but seldom seen permanent collection of art from the 1960s to present day. With 240,000 square feet of exhibition space illuminated by natural light, this building is a phenomenal place to visit and view works by Andy Warhol, Robert Irwin, Gerhard Richter, and Louise Bourgeois, just to name a few. The benefit was so much fun and it was a wonderful treat to have the Merce Cunningham Dance Company perform for us at the culmination of their two-year residency at Dia:Beacon. I urge anyone visiting this area to stop and spend some time at this museum. My good friend and genius photographer Todd Eberle was at this event and you can view his coverage at Vanity Fair . Also, my dogs Francesca and Sharkey covered the event on their blog, The Daily Wag.

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Picture 1 of 17: Matthew Barney - artist, me, and Philippe Vergne - Dia director PHOTO BY TODD EBERLE

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Valentine crafts on the Today Show

Martha Stewart — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:26:07 +0000

Valentineâ€™s Day is this Saturday and we, at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, have been busy creating Valentine cheer.Â This week on the Today Show, I demonstrated how to easily make a colorful paper bouquet, how to create original and fun Valentine cards, and also how to embellish an ordinary box of store-bought chocolates into something quite extraordinary.Â Please visit marthastewart.com for many other clever and delicious holiday ideas. Also, at Michael's Crafts you can find my Valentine craft line. I hope your Valentineâ€™s Day is as sweet as you would like.

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