“The Color of Light” by David Patrick Columbia
Originally appeared on New York Social Diary September 24, 2020
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Thursday, September 24, 2020. A bright, sunny day, yesterday in New York, with temps reaching up to 79 degrees, no humidity and occasionally a slight breeze. Although it was comfortably warm it didn’t feel hot the way 80 degrees a month ago was torrid.
With just a week of the month left, the town’s beginning to get around to business. The (outdoor) restaurants are very busy, even during the very cool of the evening, and philanthropic events are setting up shop for fundraising “virtually.”
Unlike Matisse, very few of us have the palette to defend ourselves from the affliction of depression. That’s where Audrey Gruss and organizations like theHope for Depression Research Foundation come in.Audreyfounded HDRFin memory of her mother, Hope, who suffered from clinical depression — to combat depression using the power of science.
Audrey, always soigné, and always creative in pushing the acceleration of breakthrough research, introduced the new Hope Night Parfum at a small dinner last week in the cross breezes of the pool pavilion at her Southampton home (maintaining social distancing guidelines, of course).
The luxury fragrance was presented as a fine product with a unique charitable message: 100% of net profits go to support depression research at Hope for Depression Research Foundation.
Guests arrived with masks and were guided to cocktail “pods” that consisted of U-shaped banquettes, where they had drinks and hors d’oeuvres, properly socially-distanced 6’ from each other. Dinner was served at a 24’ long table and guests were seated 6’ from each other. The table was decorated with flowers cascading from a grapevine sculpture above the table, which reinforced the romantic theme of Hope Night.
Guests included: Debbie Bancroft, Candace Bushnell with Jim Coleman, Kim Heirston, Tania and Brian Higgins, Marie-Noelle and John Pierce.
