May 19, 2017 - NYC - Last night, New York’s top socialites and
celebrities gathered in Chelsea for an evening honoring the work
of famed photographer Brian
Bowen Smith in commemoration of Operation
Smile’s 35th Anniversary
with Johnson &
Johnson. Chicago Fire’s Taylor
Kinney, alongside Inga &
Keith Rubenstein, Coralie
Charriol,
Jennifer Creel, Peter Davis and
more gathered at the pop-up gallery to show their support in raising awareness
and funds for children and young adults born with cleft palettes
and other facial deformities. Guests enjoyed craft cocktails by
Absolut Elyx and wine by Rotari at the one-night only exhibition
held at West Edge in Chelsea NYC. The evening showcased
one-of-a-kind portraits of Heidi Klum, The Rock, Channing Tatum,
Michael Keaton, Ashlee Simpson-Ross & Evan Ross, Selma Blair,
Jordana Brewster, Dori Cooperman, Brian Grazer, Brooke Burke-Charvet,
Kate Walsh, Michael Carl, Charlotte Ronson, Emmanuelle Chriqui
and more! Top tier New Yorkers including the president of Republic
Records Charlie Walk, CATCH Restaurants founder Mark Birnbaum,
and NYLON Magazine Style Director Dani Stahl, encouraged
guests to donate generously during the live smile auction.
Broadway star and Nerd HQ’s Zachary
Levi took the
stage to share his experience as an Operation Smile Ambassador,
moving the room to tears. Before leading into the evenings
program, Levi thanked Operation Smile Co-Founders, Dr.
Bill and Kathy
Magee for their
35 years of inspiration and dedication in helping children bron
with cleft lips and cleft palates. He challenged those in the
room to continue to support such a great cause. The Smile Star
portraits were displayed throughout the art exhibit and guests
purchased the artwork along with donations through the Listerine
Smile Booth. Robert Duffy, founder
and business partner of Marc Jacobs, delivered a heartfelt
speech in honor of Brian Bowen Smith’s work for Operation Brian
graciously accepted the evening's Wallis Annenberg Award, which
recognizes a person who uses his creative talent to present
Operation Smile's message of hope in a new and compelling way.
Duffy later donated $20k, contributing to the impressive
funds raised for Operation Smile.
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