It's a rare night that brings together technology, sports luminaries and one front-running Republican presidential candidate. Samsung's sixth annual Four Season's of Hope Gala did precisely that last night at the capacious Cipriani Wall Street in downtown New York City.
The event, which included raffles for assorted Samsung products (including a 42-inch plasma display), a silent auction of dozens of one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia (including a signed Barry Bonds Bats and autographed Julius Irving basketball) doesn't focus on just one charity. Instead, Samsung, partner companies Sears, Circuit City, Comp USA, Golf great Arnold Palmer, former pro-football quarterbacks Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino, hockey legend Wayne Gretsky, Yankee Manager Joe Torre and current presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, promote a variety of personal, charitable causes.
Introduced by Host Regis Philbin and Joe Torre, Giuliani, for the most part steered clear of a stump speech and instead focused on the St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers Foundation. The former Mayor recalled how on Sept. 11th 2001. there was tremendous misinformation about the scope of the unfolding tragedy. "The first time I realized it was war was when I passed St. Vincent's hospital. Doctors and nurses were standing outside the hospital just waiting," said Giuliani, adding that he realized that they were waiting for what they anticipated would be the thousands of injured people. The POTUS- aspirant added that the hospital now has a new "Rudolph W. Guiliani [natch] Trauma Center." The candidate then wrapped up his speech and made a beeline for the exit.
Yankees Manage Joe Torre spoke movingly about how he created his Safe at Home Foundation in memory of his mother who had been abused by Torre's father. Similarly, Palmer talked about the creation of the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, Esiason, whose 16 year-old son has cystic fibrosis, was there to represent his Boomer Esiason Foundation, and Marino, who's son has autism, was there to talk about the Dan Marino Foundation.
While Philbin departed shortly after introducing Giuliani and all the assembled sports figures, daytime soap star Susan Lucci took over and promptly shuffled her speech cards out of order (later Palmer dropped all of his notes--was the bar serving doubles?)
As the evening wound to a close, Esiason and Marino repeated a now yearly tradition of throwing signed footballs into the crowd (one perfect Marino spiral nearly took one women out). If you called for one and caught it, you had to pay $500 to keep it. I passed on this pass.
The evening closed with a performance by Grammy-winning songstress Alicia Keys. FSOH was also honoring her for her work on the Alicia Keys Family Foundation.
You can get more information on the FSOH here.
Rudy Giuliani (left) andf Joe Torre
Dan Marino
Boomer Esiason
Arnold Palmer (left) and Wayne Gretsky
Susan Lucci
Marty Lyons
Carl Banks
Harry Carson
Alicia Keys
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June 19, 2007 10:45 AM
Also there was Jeff Green driver of the #66 Bestbuy Nascar Nextel Cup car. And Winter season partner Bestbuy. Unable to attend was Magic Johnson.
Sears gets the fall, Bestbuy gets the winter. Where do circuit and comp fall?