Caring to Remember cocktail benefit raises $400,000 for Alzheimer’s Association

New York, NY On Tuesday, June 14^th, the Alzheimer’s Association held its sixth Caring to Remember cocktail benefit at the Royalton Park Ave. More than 400 guests—the largest number in the event’s history—raised nearly $400,000 for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research programs.

Caring to Remember was founded in 2015 by Heidi Lohrfink Nigg; Geraldine Szabo of GKS Industries; and Andrea Tallent of Nouveau Elevator to bring leaders from the city’s commercial real estate and construction industries together in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease.

Andrea Tallent opened the evening, welcoming the crowd back after a few years and thanking the industry sponsors who helped make the event possible. She then held a moment of silence to: “Think of everyone you love, everything you hold dear, every memory” in honor of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Patrick Dolan, representing The Durst Org. and Caring to Remember’s executive committee, then gave a moving speech that brought many attendees to tears by sharing his memories of his mother. With his wife, Jeanne and children Brendan and Meaghan in the audience, he recounted how his mother, an Irish immigrant from a big family, lived with the disease for 11 years, before passing away.

Tallent, Dolan, and Nigg were joined at the cocktail benefit by their fellow event executive committee members Meghann Gill, SL Green; Rosemarie Krol, CBRE; Frances Graham, Newmark; Andrea Barragan, Nouveau Elevator; Andrea Mesis-Bruno, D&A Construction Advisors; Antonina Caruso, JRM; Bonnie Pfleiderer, Ryan Soames Engineering; Debra Cole, HLW; Geraldine Szabo, GKS Industries; and Robert Cuzzi, VDA.

Guests networked while enjoying cocktails and the city’s skyline, which included buildings lit in purple across the city for Alzheimer’s awareness.

The buildings included the event venue Royalton Park Avenue as well as One Vanderbilt, One World Trade Center, The Oculus, Brookfield Place (100 West Street), The Helmsley Building, 151 West 42nd Street, 1515 Broadway, 111-115 Broadway, and 1301 Avenue of the Americas.

Christopher Smith, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter, ended the festivities by thanking everyone in attendance for their support of critical Alzheimer’s research. “Your vision, your commitment, your fight—makes it possible. Too many families have been devastated by Alzheimer’s. And that’s why we aren’t going to stop until we find a cure.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.