Ed Koch and Dan Lufkin | 
Bruce Klatsky and
Brooke McMurray | 
Cynthia Lufkin, Gordon J. Campbell
and Bette Midler | SAFE HORIZON
Bette Midler Sings Praises
Of Advocacy Group’s Work Story by Roger Webster
Photos by Jimi Celeste/PMc  AFE HORIZON, the nation’s leading nonprofit, victim assistance, advocacy and violence prevention organization celebrated its 25th anniversary by giving Champion Awards to individuals whose efforts have made significant contributions to ending violence and victimization.
Safe Horizon CEO Gordon J. Campbell and event chair Cynthia Lufkin were the driving forces behind this year’s luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria, which raised $1 million. Supporters included Dick Parsons, chairman-elect of AOL / Time Warner, Ed Koch, Safe Horizon board chair Brooke McMurray, Linda Fairstein, Julie Chen, Dominick Dunne, Donna Hanover, Betsy Gotbaum, Nicole Miller, Patricia Duff, Cornelia Guest, Andrea Stark, Gayle King, Dayle Haddon, Jessica Seinfeld and Malaak Compton-Rock. Also Muffie Potter Aston, Royce Pinkwater, Wendy Carduner, Beth Rudin deWoody, Karen LeFrak, Felicia Taylor, Muffy Miller, and Bruce J. Klatsky, CEO of Phillips-Van Heusen, and Louis C. Camilleri, CEO of Altria Group. NBC’s Tom Brokaw narrated a video about Safe Horizon. Gavin de Becker, widely regarded as our nation’s leading expert on the prediction and management of violence, was guest speaker. The afternoon concluded on a high note, when Bette Midler, poised in front of a Baby Grand in the opera box on the first tier, sang The Rose followed by her own rendition of Happy Birthday. Three cheers to Safe Horizon, which pursues its mission with programs in schools, courts, police precincts, domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers, and 24-hour hotlines. The organization played a critical role in aiding victims of the September 11 attack, distributing more than $100 million in emergency financial relief and providing counseling and support services to more than 46,000 individuals affected by the tragedy. |
