I’ll never forget the late Broadway producer, Marty Richards talking to me about his wife, heiress Mary Lea Johnson, an incest victim. Look around the room: one in five children has been abused. With Georgette Mosbacher, Marty helped found the New York Center for Children in 1995 from the 55 year old national child abuse prevention organization, Childhelp.
Kathleen Turner had been at Childhelp for ten years at that time. “Childhelp was very much about good foster care as opposed to a state system,” Turner remembered. “Care of children is where it started.”
Now she was on hand to support the New York Center for Children 20th Anniversary Spring Cocktail Reception at Hotel Peninsula’s Bar at Clement. “It’s so unique to have all the services that a traumatized child needs all in one place,” Turner told Hamptons.com. “The child could be treated by a doctor, a social worker, a police officer, all under the aegis of one roof and one supervisor. Otherwise it’s office to office, strangers all the way. It makes it huge difference.”
Turner said she’s “taking some time off” from the Broadway rolls that continue to get her noticed, and teaching acting, which she loves.
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Kevin Ryan addresses the crowd. (Photo: Owen Hoffmann/PatrickMcMullan.com) |
She chatted with Lyn Paulsin, Mosbacher’s glamorous, blonde sister. Kevin Ryan, Michele Herbert, Heidi Mitchell, Christine Rales, Sophie Ann Terrisse, and Lauren Vernon hosted the evening. Former New York Councilmember Jessica Lapin, Jean Shafiroff, Nicole DiCocco and Crunch Condiments owner Nick Loeb were among the filled room.
Auction highlights included a three night stay in a superior suite at The Peninsula Hotel in Paris, a private dinner for eight at Clement, Personal styling and shopping with Kirna Zabete Founder Sarah Easley, a selection of clothing from designer Harrison Morgan, a weekend vacation package for the Westcott B&B in Hudson, New York and a selection of paintings created by NYCC clients.
For more information, visit www.newyorkcenterforchildren.org.
