Santa Project Benefits United Cerebral Palsy of New York City

The Santa Project Party & Auction benefitting United Cerebral Palsy of New York City (UCP of NYC), one of the largest health nonprofit organizations in the U.S., was held on Wednesday Dec. 7th at Harlem's Bier International.

Beyond the core programs and services UCP of NYC delivers year round, proceeds from the Santa Project Party and Auction help fund special needs equipment requests and purchase holiday gift cards for children with disabilities in UCP of NYC's programs.

For the second year in a row, the event was hosted by supermodel & entrepreneur Camilla Barungi of Project Runway fame. The party was held at Chris Pollok and Ousmane Keita's hip Harlem Bier International, which in just one year has made it to the top of many the "must" lists in NYC.

In addition to a strong showing of support from a diverse young professional crowd, the event drew celebrity guests from fashion, film, television and Broadway. VIPS attending the event included: Mike Woods, meteorologist & reporter of Fox 5's Good Day New York; Isiah Whitlock, star of the film Cedar Rapids and the acclaimed series The Wire; Lauren LoGiudice, star of the film When Harry Tries to Marry; Jonathan D. Lovitz, host of the MTV/Logo series Set Up Squad; Javier Gomez, fine art photographer; Jose Salvador, Producer, Fox 5 News; Josh Folan, All My Children & star of two new films All God's Creatures and the upcoming What Would Bear Do?; LaQuan Smith, acclaimed Fashion Designer; Sebastian La Cause, star of the upcoming film Premium Rush and the new series Hustling; Brian Keane, star of the films Bear City and Bear City 2; Elisa Jimenez, star of the hit series Project Runway; Aryn Cole, star of the upcoming movie Lorenzo and Monica; Patrick Hazlewood, model/entrepreneur; Richie Rich, fashion designer, Tony Hillery and Hans Bernier founders of Harlem Grown; Brandice Henderson of Harlem Fashion Row; Pierre Le Veaux and Michelina Mandarano, Goldman Sachs, Anthony Spagnolo, Principal, HOK, Kimberly Dowdell, Levien and Company, Erin Felker Bond, Esq, Associate Director for NYLS Center for Real Estate Studies; Alison Levy, Net-A-Porter; Moira Balseca, Jane Ferrone, Tamara Matos-Hernandez and Daniel Tobert of Columbia CP Clinic; Sheila Lennon, Senior Vice President, UCP of NYC, and William D. White, Wm. White Associates LLC.

The Santa Party Host Committee included, W. Scott Allen, Raj Capoor, MD, Calcie Cooper, Rich Daniel, Kimberly Dowdell, Matthew Foster, Laura Hickman, Brandice Henderson, Daniel Harrison, Janelle Jarvid, Gregory Garone, Susan Kosar, Alison Levy, Erin Kate McCarthy, Chantel Peters
Lauren Petrin, Shante Pumphrey, Michael Putis, Kelvin Sanders, Vincent Siasoco, MD, Logan Smalley, Kathleen Taylor, Nicole Westcott, and Marta Willgoose.

The event featured a silent auction with a range of luxury goods and services to bid on, including a deluxe two night stay at the SOHO Grand, tickets to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, gift certificates for noteworthy NYC restaurants, fashion items, electronics.

About United Cerebral Palsy of New York City:

UCP of NYC is one of America's most established charities helping children and adults with disabilities throughout New York City. UCP of NYC currently serves more than 14,000 individuals and family members through more than 75 comprehensive programs. The Mission of United Cerebral Palsy of New York City is to create opportunities for people with disabilities to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

For more information on UCP of NYC or to donate to The Santa Project, please visit www.ucp.org.