The HHC Foundation's Third Annual Breakfast Benefit, held at Cipriani 42nd on Thursday, May 17th, was a rousing success with a record $600,000 raised for the City's public hospitals. 540 guests that included leaders from the civic, business and healthcare communities, came together to support the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), which provides quality healthcare to all New Yorkers regardless of the ability to pay.

Honoree Tom Harrison, Chairman and CEO of Diversified Agency Services, the largest division of Omnicom Group Inc., gave acceptance remarks that were both eloquent and highlighted the important role that the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) plays in ensuring the health and well being of all New Yorkers. He made mention of the fact that while those in attendance were enjoying breakfast; the day had already began hours ago for our doctors, nurses and patients. Harrison accepted the award on their behalf.

Community Service Honoree Barbara Gimbel, a long time philanthropist and community activist, received a standing ovation and brought tears to many eyes with her account of volunteering with children in the 1940's. She spoke of the children who spent extended periods of time, for some their entire lives, in HHC's Bellevue Hospital Center, rarely, if ever, able to play outdoors. One of the first projects the volunteers undertook was to raise money for a playground for children with psychiatric problems. Gimbel recalled one child saying, "I just saw the sky." She exhorted the audience to become part of an "army of volunteers" to help support HHC.

Emblazoned on the wall were comments from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, capturing the significance of the day's efforts, recognizing HHC as, "the largest and most efficient healthcare system in the nation, providing 'first-rate healthcare,' and it's a big factor in why New Yorkers are living longer than the average American for the first time since World War II."

Leadership for the event included Daniel D. Ricciardi, M.D. of Brooklyn Heights Arthritis Associates who served as Breakfast Chairman and was joined by Honorary Event Chair and recipient of last year's Humanitarian Award, Dr. Robert Glickman of the NYU Medical Center. Co-chairs of the event were Edward J. Rappa, CEO of R.W. Pressprich & Co. and HHC Foundation Chairman; John D. Wren, CEO of Omnicom Group Inc., and Randy Weisenburger, CFO of Omnicom Group Inc.