WHAT:
Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit organization which remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and fund groundbreaking cancer research programs to save the lives of millions, hosted its annual gala at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY on Saturday, August 27, 2016. The event’s Challenge Research Award raised over $3.5 million in support of the foundation’s work.

The gala was hosted in support of the 12th Annual Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament being held from August 26 – 28, 2016, named after the successful entrepreneur who constantly turned tragic events throughout his life into philanthropic causes. The gala evening was a wonderful night of dining, dancing and filled with loads of surprises. The event featured special musical performances by Grammy award-winning singer Dianne Reeves, double platinum recording artist Billy Idol, and nationally recognized pop vocal group The Company Men, with a special performance by Francis Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health. 100 percent of the funds raised throughout the evening went to supporting groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.

Notable attendees included: Michael & Lori Milken (Founder), Dianne Reeves (Performer), Billy Idol (Performer), The Company Men (Performers), Leon and Debra Black, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Ken and Maria Fishel, Jeff and Mei Sze Greene, Susan and John Kean, David and Julia Koch, Francine LeFrak, Rick Friedberg, Dr. Richard Merkin, Glenn and Jennifer Myles, Joel Pashcow, Artie and Selma Rabin, Jonathan and Sheryl Sokoloff, Lester Cook (Pro), Jonathan Erlich (Pro), Murphy Jensen (Pro), Scott Lipsky (Pro), Andreas Siljestrom (Pro), Mitch Modell, Frank Luntz, Dr. Jonathan W. Simons (President & CEO, Prostate Cancer Foundation), Dr. Francis Collins, Eric and Aerin Zinterhofer, Jim Coleman and Cynthia Ott, Dean and Roxanne Palin, Brent and Laura Nicklas, Bill Finneran, Lew and Rita Ranieri, Sally Quinn and Jackie Rogers.

The night began with a short quiz by the Founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Michael Milken, with guests curiously participating from their seats. Milken then introduced Jan Haber, PCF’s Vice President of Events, to the stage. Haber welcomed guests to the event and thanked them for supporting the very important work of the PCF, after which she introduced the evening’s first performer to the stage, Grammy-award winning singer Dianne Reeves, who performed a few of her celebrated jazz songs to the delight of the audience.

Reeves’ performance was followed by a short speech by Michael Milken on how far PCF has come since its founding, and how much of a difference the foundation’s work does. A video was shown highlighting the foundation’s progress and its aim to make prostate cancer an illness to “find in the history books”. Next, a few words were spoken by PCF’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jonathan W. Simons. Dr. Simons touched on the progress in gene research and how it has made it possible to identify the drivers behind the disease, in the fight against not only prostate cancer but all types of cancer.

The evening’s next performance was held by The Company Men, who performed a Motown medley, consisting of their interpretation of much loved songs by artists such as Simon & Garfunkel and Billy Joel. The vocal group had come all the way from Los Angeles to perform at the event, which they said they were honored to attend and being able to support. Following The Company Men was a surprise performance by the Director of National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, who started off mentioning the nationwide cancer study that is currently being conducted in order to understand how to prevent and identify cancer risk factors at an early stage. Dr. Collins encouraged everyone to join in on this “unprecedented adventure”, before taking out his guitar for a surprise performance of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” in his own version, called “DNA”.

A live auction was also held to support a young scientist. Attendees were asked to donate $75,000 per year to support the research of a young scientist and his or her research in the fight toward prostate cancer. This was followed by an appearance by Mitch Modell, who presented the foundation with a check for $141,ooo on behalf of Modell’s Sporting Goods and all of its customers.

Michael Milken rounded up the evening’s lineup of performances and appearances by extending a heartfelt thank you to all performers, attendees, donors, hosts, pro tennis players and amateurs for making it an unforgettable evening in the support of finding a cure for prostate cancer. To top off the evening, a much anticipated musical performance was held by superstar Billy Idol, who kicked off his performance with crowd favorite “Cradle of Love”.

The Weekend’s Pro-Am Tennis Champions were: Ricky Sandler and Rick Leach, Alex Norcross and Alex Bogomolov Jr., Dick Merkin and Rohan Bopanna, Bill Finneran and Graydon Oliver. Finalists included: Mark Ein and Scott Lipsky, Marie Bernstein and Santiago Gonzalez, Ralph Finerman and Jonathan Erlich, Sammy Herzberg and Jonathan Schneider.

A silent auction was also held, including select items such as A Getaway to a Private Villa in Bali, sports memorabilia such as a signed plaque and boxing glove of legend Muhammad Ali and a signed Michael Jordan jersey, original photographs of Coco Chanel with model Jackie Rogers, as well as exclusive photographs of icons Prince, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Mick Jagger.

Weekend hosts and sponsors of the Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tournament include: Bill and Karen Ackman, Leon and Debra Black, Steven and Alexandra Cohen, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Ken and Maria Fishel, Larry Gagosian, Jeff and Mei Sze Greene, Josh and Marjorie Harris, Susan and John Kean, Calvin Klein, David and Julia Koch, Marc Leder, Richard and Karen LeFrak, Michael and Margie Loeb, Dr. Richard Merkin, Michael and Lori Milken, Glenn and Jennifer Myles, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Joel Pashcow, Artie and Selma Rabin, Danny Rosenblum, Jonathan and Sheryl Sokoloff, and Mort Zuckerman.

To Download Selected Images by Patrick McMullan and Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com, visit: http://bit.ly/2bMP2xc

To View a Full Gallery of Images by Patrick McMullan, visit: http://bit.ly/2c0wfLL

To View a Full Gallery of Images by Rob Rich/Society Allure.com, visit: http://bit.ly/2bx9AsJ

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF):
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $660 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at more than 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts has helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.

For further information on the PCF, please visit http://www.pcf.org/
F: www.facebook.com/PCF.org | T: www.twitter.com/PCFnews

WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 2016
Press check in: 5:30PM – 6:30PM (MANDATORY)*
Cocktail Reception: 6:30PM
Dinner: 7:30PM
*Subject to client Approval

WHERE: Parrish Art Museum
279 Montauk Highway
Water Mill, NY, 11976
www.parrishart.org

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2014 American Spirit Awards

Monday, June 2, 2014
6pm-8pm

Monday, June 2 we are thrilled to host our second annual American Spirit Awards.  This elegant evening will honor several deserving individuals who have made a notable contribution to our great country in the past year.

The Common Good 2014 American Spirit Awards: This dynamic evening will feature extraordinary individuals who have gone above and beyond to participate in our democracy and help change the world we live in for the better. To sign up early or for more information, on the 2014 American Spirit Awards please call 212.599.7040.

OUR 2014 HONOREES:

Activism In The Arts:  Arnon Milchan, respected and prolific film producer, for his part in bringing the critically acclaimed “12 Years a Slave” to the screen.  The film provides an honest and unflinching portrayal of the ugly truth about slavery in America and has helped reinvigorate discussion of human dignity and equality in our country.  Milchan, Chairman of New Regency Productions, has made many films that have garnered both critical and commercial success, including Noah, Pretty Woman, Once Upon a Time in America, JFK, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Natural Born Killers, Fight Club, War of the Roses, A Time to Kill, Under Siege, Love & Other Drugs.

Citizen Activism:   Jose Antonio Vargas, a leading activist on the issue of immigration reform and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, for his efforts to show the face of immigrants as hard-working, responsible and very American — even without the proper paperwork.  Vargas won a Pulitzer for his reporting on the Virginia Tech shootings, but soon after, he bravely chose to reveal his own status as an undocumented immigrant, risking deportation to help put a human face on immigration reform.  Vargas has since established his non-profit Define American and has been featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

ABOUT ARNON MILCHAN

ARNON MILCHAN (Executive Producer) is widely renowned as one of the most prolific and successful independent film producers of the past 25 years, with over 100 feature films to his credit.  Born in Israel, Milchan was educated at the University of Geneva.  His first business venture was transforming his father’s modest business into one of his country’s largest agro-chemical companies.  This early achievement was a harbinger of Milchan’s now-legendary reputation in the international marketplace as a keen businessman.

Soon, Milchan began to underwrite projects in areas that had always held a special interest for him – film, television and theater.  Early projects include Roman Polanski’s theater production of “Amadeus,” “Dizengoff 99,” “La Menace,” “The Medusa Touch” and the mini-series “Masada.”  By the end of the 1980s, Milchan had produced such films as Martin Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy,” Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” and Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.”

After the huge successes of “Pretty Woman” and “The War of the Roses,” Milchan founded New Regency Productions and went on to produce a string of successful films including “J.F.K,” “Sommersby,” “A Time to Kill,” “Free Willy,” “The Client,” “Tin Cup,” “Under Siege,” “L.A. Confidential,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “The Negotiator,” “City of Angels,” “Entrapment,” “Fight Club,” “Big Momma’s House,” “Don’t Say a Word,” “Daredevil,” “Man on Fire,” “Guess Who,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Big Momma’s House 2,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “The Fountain,” “Mirrors,” “Jumper,” “What Happens in Vegas,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” “Love and Other Drugs,” “Big Momma’s House 3,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,”  “In Time,.” the critically acclaimed “12 Years a Slave and  the epic” Noah directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Russell Crowe.

Upcoming films include “True Story,” starring Jonah Hill and James Franco, “Gone Girl” directed by David Fincher and starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, “Birdman” directed by Alejandro Inarritu, starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough and Ed Norton, and “Pyongyang,” directed by Gore Verbinski.

Along the way, Milchan brought on board two powerful investors and partners who share his vision: Nine Network and Twentieth Century Fox.  Fox distributes Regency movies in all media worldwide, except in international pay and free television where Milchan has taken advantage of the growing television and new media marketplace. Milchan also successfully diversified his company’s activities within the sphere of entertainment, most specifically in the realm of television through Regency Television (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Bernie Mac Show” and “Windfall”) and sports where the company was at one time the largest shareholder of PUMA, the worldwide athletic apparel and shoe conglomerate based in Germany, which was later sold after a successful re-branding of the brand in 2003.  In addition, Regency has acquired the worldwide television rights to Women’s Tennis Association Tournaments from 1999 through 2012 and has licensed  these  rights to  Pan European Broadcaster Eurosport  S.A. Regency owns a large stake in the Israeli Network, a television station brought to the United States via a satellite distribution agreement with Echostar and Regency also acquired a large stake in Channel 10, one of only two commercial broadcast stations in Israel.

ABOUT JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, and the founder of Define American, a campaign that seeks to elevate the conversation around immigration.

In June 2011, the New York Times Magazine published a groundbreaking essay he wrote in which he revealed and chronicled his life in America as an undocumented immigrant, stunning media and political circles and attracting worldwide coverage. A year later, he appeared on the cover of TIME magazine internationally with fellow undocumented immigrants as part of a follow-up cover story. Since then, he has testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration reform, and written and directed Documented, a documentary film on his undocumented experience. It world premiered in June 2013 as the centerpiece of the AFIDOCS film festival in Washington, D.C.

He was a senior contributing editor at the Huffington Post, where he launched the Technology andCollege sections. Prior to that, he covered tech and video game culture, HIV/AIDS in the nation’s capital, and the 2008 presidential campaign for the Washington Post, and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for covering the Virginia Tech massacre. In 2007, Politico named him one of 50 Politicos to Watch. His 2006 series on HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. inspired a feature-length documentary — The Other City — which he co-produced and wrote. It world premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on Showtime. In 2010, he wrote an exclusive profile of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the New Yorker.

The media’s evolution, and the breakdown of barriers between print and broadcast journalism, has guided his nearly 13-year reporting career. He’s written for daily newspapers (Philadelphia Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle) and national magazines (The Atlantic, Rolling Stone) and has appeared on several national and international television and radio programs, including Nightline,The O’Reilly Factor, and The Colbert Report. On HuffPost, he created the blog Technology as Anthropology, which focuses on tech’s impact on people and how we behave.

He taught a class on “Storytelling 2.0” at Georgetown University and served on the advisory board for the Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism, housed at American University. A very proud alumnus of Mountain View High School (‘00) and San Francisco State University (‘04), he loves jazz, hip-hop and anything by Gershwin, and worships at the altars of Altman, Almodovar, Didion, Baldwin and Orwell.

He dreamed of one day living in Manhattan after he saw Woody Allen’s version of it. He currently resides in Manhattan.

ABOUT THE COMMON GOOD

MISSION

The Common Good is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that strives to inspire broad participation in our democracy through the free exchange of ideas and civil dialogue and seeks to find ways to bridge the growing divisions that threaten our nation. We are dedicated to finding common ground and, through forums and initiatives, encourage the civic engagement so essential for a thriving democracy.

LEARN  MORE

What Are We Up To?

We trade rancorous tirades for civil arguments. We bring together leading (and often opposing) activists for informal discussions, not lectures. Equally important, we create campaigns and initiatives to encourage vigorous participation in our democracy. We’re out to bridge the chasm that divides the nation’s extremes. And we’re reaching out to ‘the great middle’ of the nation—to those who often make the difference in elections.

Isn’t That Already Happening? No.

These days, such discussion has too often been replaced by emotion and anger—just the environment that demagogues and hate- mongers thrive in. The Common Good goes beyond the shrill discussions of the 24- hour news cycle, and protects the truth from being hijacked by partisanship. We cannot afford to wait for the next crisis in energy, national security, debt overload or job depletion. Everyone can do their part – and we will bring together people of good will and good common sense to do theirs.

What Motivates Us?

For the first time in the history of our nation, our children face a future that may be bleaker than our own. That’s why we’ll work to whip up public interest on the hot topics of the day and inspire citizens to get engaged, come together and move the country forward.

GOALS

• Educate and empower members on issues of public importance.
• Encourage reasoned national debate and support the free exchange of ideas.
• Promote active participation in the democratic process and empower individual to “make a difference”.
• Ensure freedom of press and speech.
• Support tolerance for differing points of view.
• Seek new ideas.
• Encourage solutions to problems by finding common ground.
• Challenge our leaders and hold them accountable.

HISTORY

In 1988 a group of entertainment and business professionals banded together to form Show Coalition, an entertainment network to inform, connect and involve those affiliated with the entertainment industry into political affairs and public policy. Entertainment executives, writers, directors, producers, actors, agents, and others in the community joined together for informational forums, conferences and initiatives in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Show Coalition has been credited with playing a critical role in creating the Hollywood/Washington nexus of entertainment activism during that community’s most politically active years.

The Common Good was formally organized in New York City in 2007. As with Show Coalition, TCG hosts a variety of forums for thought leaders from across the political spectrum. It has created strategic alliances with other organizations and brought a steady stream of exciting speakers and has created The American Spirit Awards to honor those who make a difference in public affairs and civic life. The Common Good seeks to focus on increasing citizen participation in the political process and what can each do to help move our country forward.

The post Patricia Duff– Founder and Creator for The Common Good, shares her Good News mission appeared first on Good News!.

When asked “What’s his Good News”, Arnon’s reply was “Peace in the Middle East”.  What an honor for us to interview him.  We will share his speech at a later time where he gives the real picture of the movie business.  EMOTION, EMOTION, EMOTION!

Arnon Milchan (Hebrew: ארנון מילצ’ן‎; December 6, 1944) is an Israeli Hollywood film producer who has produced over 130 full-length motion pictures.^[2] Mr. Milchan, a multi-billionaire and owner of New Regency Films, was also a former key Israeli intelligence operative from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.^[3][4]

Arnon Milchan produced numerous critical and financial successes. After co-producing Pretty Woman, Milchan formed Regency Enterprises. Regency’s film credits include Oscar winners and nominees, as well as popular financial hits, including 12 Years a Slave, L.A. Confidential, JFK, Heat, Fight Club, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith and many more. He is considered one of the most prolific independent producers in Hollywood history. He is an Israeli citizen, and a resident of Israel.

Early life

Milchan was born in Rehovot, British Mandate for Palestine, in 1944. His family is Jewish.^[5] His father owned a fertilizer company,^[6] which Milchan inherited at the age of 21 upon his fathers sudden death. Over the years, Milchan turned the company into a successful chemical business.^[7] He also earned a degree from the London School of Economics, before he and his company (Milchan Brothers Ltd.) were recruited to LAKAM, a top secret Israeli intelligence organization responsible for obtaining technology and material for Israel’s nuclear program, and other highly secretive programs.^[8]

Film industry, and other businesses

Arnon Milchan became involved in the American movie business in 1977, after an introduction to American producer Elliot Kastner. Most notable among Milchan’s film collaborations was his early work with Martin Scorsese. He developed close friendships with Robert De Niro, and directors Roman Polanski, Sergio Leone, Terry Gilliam and Oliver Stone. Milchan started his own production company in 1991 called New Regency Productions. Through his company Regency, in partnership with Warner Brothers, and later with Rupert Murdoch at 20th Century Fox, and other business ventures, such as Puma AG, Milchan acquired a net worth estimated at about $4.7 billion as of 2014.

Arnon Milchan has produced over 130 films, and is recognized as one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood history, with films such as Noah, 12 Years a Slave,Once Upon a Time in America (1984) (in which he also makes a cameo appearance as the chauffeur), Brazil (1985), Pretty Woman (1990), Under Siege (1992),Natural Born Killers (1994), Boys on the Side (1995), L.A. Confidential (1997), Unfaithful (2002), and Knight and Day (2010), among others, to his credit.^[9] In 2014,12 Years a Slave won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture.

Milchan is also the owner of the WTA broadcasting rights. He was married to model Brigitte Genmaire.^[6] He is now married to former South African tennis professional Amanda Coetzer. He is owner of the network which transmits Israeli television programming to the United States and Canada. He is also a part owner of Israel’s TV Channel 10, and a former owner of Puma, the international sportswear line.

The post Arnon Milchan Receives an Award at Patricia’s Duff Common Good, American Spirit Awards appeared first on Good News!.