Laura Day Webb, Casey Kohlberg, Patricia Bonaldi, Lizzie Asher, Nora Boyd ©BFA
The Cura Collective Celebrates Their Female Philanthropy Initiative Aboard Luxury Sailing Yacht Ventura
The Cura Collective hosted a Sunset Cruise aboard Sailing Yacht Ventura, that left from the North Cove Marina to celebrate their newly launched Female Philanthropy Initiative.
Cura was founded in April 2020 by five friends (Lizzie Asher, Nora Boyd, Mercedes de Guardiola, Casey Kohlberg, Laura Day Webb) in response to the burgeoning Covid-19 pandemic, out of a desire to do more to help those most hard hit in New York City last spring. Last year saw Cura deliver tens of thousands of meals in the greater New York City area, originally to hospitals and expanding to support kids facing food insecurity.
With the rising threat of the Delta Variant, the Cura Collective wanted to recognize some of the women who did extraordinary work under the hardships of the pandemic last year. While we are celebrating the re-opening of the city, Cura hopes to also celebrate heroic deeds women accomplished that have gotten less recognition.
Under the gaze of Lady Liberty herself, all guests toasted the three honorees of the evening as they sailed past lower Manhattan into New York Harbor. The evening featured designer Patricia Bonaldi of Pat.Bo, known for her work in her home country of Brazil for female empowerment. Her efforts nearly a decade ago led to the founding of a school in her hometown of Uberlandia where women were taught the art of embroidery and painting. Bonaldi’s school boasts today 400 artisans who are responsible for the couture craftsmanship of her eponymous line. The arduous work of Susan Hale of Bellevue Hospital was also highlighted. Hale partnered with the Cura Collective team coordinating logistics of meal deliveries sourced from the Nomad Hotel to the hospital staff. Finally, Naila Amin, whose strenuous lobbying during the lockdown shepherded legislation that was adopted by the New York State legislature to ban the practice of child marriage under the age of 18, was heralded for her indefatigable work.
Guests were treated to red-hued cocktails concocted with gracious donations by Campari, Aperol and Macchu Pisco. As the sun set and crimson splashed across the sky, Lizzie Asher wondered if red should become the color of this initiative since “after all, without the passion of each of these women none of their transformational endeavors would have been possible.”
Notable attendees included: Lizzie Asher, Casey Kohlberg, Laura Day Webb, Nora Boyd, Patricia Bonaldi, Emily Godard, Alyson Cafiero, Francesca Popescu-Ife, Naila Amin, Allison Kozak, Maggie Ewen, Christina Sciarro, Arielle Patrick, Alexandra Paul Zotov, Susan Hale, Francesca Vuillemin, Geeta Minocha, Michele Levbarg-Klein Rayden, Maddy Kohlberg, Kayla Brantley.
About the Cura Collective: The Cura Collective is a new nonprofit aimed at helping communities rebuild in the wake of major disasters by partnering with local businesses, driven by a belief that the most powerful care comes through the compassionate people around us. Started by five friends who wanted to help care for “the carers” during the pandemic, the Cura Collective’s has worked with local restaurants to deliver meals to front line medical workers at major New York hospitals. Thanks to donations from Oars + Alps and the Peninsula Hotel, they’ve also delivered over 5,000 toiletries and wellness products to healthcare workers staying in temporary housing. More information can be found at curacollective.org.
