On October 12th, over 170 guests, including New York City’s prominent business people and leaders in philanthropy, attended A Taste of the Good Life!—a fundraising event to help New York’s at-risk children by providing comprehensive support to students and families who need it most. Featuring wines from dozens of select vintners and food tastings from some of New York’s most well-known chefs, Partnership with Children hosted its ninth annual wine tasting event at the Prince George Ballroom which raised over $110,000.

Janice Williams and Michelle Sidrane

“I am pleased that during such difficult economic times, people are still willing to invest in our City’s most valuable resource – its children,” said Michelle Sidrane, Partnership with Children’s Executive Director. “We will continue to pursue creative opportunities in fundraising and stay focused on our goals.”

This year’s chefs included Iacopo Falai of Bottega Falai; Ivy Stark of Dos Caminos; Adam Shepard of La Lunetta; Anthony Ricco of Spice Market; Ed Carew, La Caprice; Chris Scott, Brooklyn Commune and John Wincroft, smoked salmon specialist. Wines were selected by Daniel Posner of Grapes: The Wine Company.

A silent auction with special items and packages were also featured. Highlights from the silent auction included dinner for four at The James Beard House, numerous dining experiences across the city and winery tours at Waters Crest and Saltwater Farms Vineyard. In addition, the guests sampled a global selection of wine available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Partnership with Children.

Liz Peek and Thong Nguyen

Partnership with Children (www.partnershipwithchildrennyc.org) celebrates over 103 years of serving New York City’s children and families in need. The agency’s school-based program -- Open Heart-Open Mind -- reaches over 10,000 at-risk children and adolescents each year through individual and group counseling. Its Center for Capacity Building expands the impact of its work by providing professional development and training based on the organization’s best practices.

Linda and Ken Mortenson