Dan's Papers - June 12, 2009 - Godspeed the Work of God's Love

On June 13, Ina Garten of Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa" and Margaret Russell, design judge from Bravo's "Top Design" and editor-in-chief of Elle Décor, will host the Ninth Annual Midsummer Night Drinks to benefit God's Love We Deliver.

Attending this event and supporting this incredible organization are renowned architect Lee Mindel, along with Coach President Reed Krakoff and his interior designer wife Delphine. Also expected are Simon Doonan, Creative Director of Barney's New York, his partner Jonathan Adler, an interior designer and judge on Bravo's "Top Design," as well as Jeffrey Pfeifle, former president of J. Crew, as well as other celebrities.

In addition to the marvelous company, Midsummer Night Drinks, held at the home of Mary and Martin Puris in Sagaponack, will offer cocktails, music by D.J. Belinda Becker, and a live auction. Up for auction will be tickets to the fashion show season finale of "Project Runway," a one-of-a-kind ink drawing by artist Don Carney, a beautiful rug from Madeline Weinrib Atelier, and a stunning piece of jewelry from Gurhan Jewelry. Also at the event will be a bistro bar, a tasting bar by Cavaniola's Gourmet Cheese Shop, food by Taste Caterers, Grey Goose cocktails and wines by Bedell Cellars and Corey Creek Vineyards.

Midsummer Night Drinks is one of four events held each year by God's Love We Deliver, but the organization's only fundraiser scheduled for the Hamptons. Because it is being held on the East End, a portion of the proceeds from the evening will also go to the East End Hospice, which provides care to the terminally ill in the Hamptons and on the North Fork.

Founded in 1986 when Ganga Stone and Jane Best began delivering meals to Manhattanites living with AIDS, God's Love We Deliver has been preparing and distributing hot meals to New Yorkers with life-altering illnesses for over 20 years. In those years, the organization has expanded from delivering 50 meals per day to an extraordinary 3,300 meals each weekday. No longer limiting its support to AIDS patients, God's Love We Deliver now assists New Yorkers with Alzheimer's, cancer, multiple sclerosis and other conditions. Those who are too sick or weak to prepare their own meals and those who are living under the poverty line and cannot afford to pay for their own groceries, benefit from the free, freshly prepared food God's Love We Deliver supplies. Meals are planned with the guidance of professional dietitians and are prepared with specific dietary restrictions in mind, in order to accommodate special needs. In addition to the meals, the organization provides nutritional counseling and education to clients.

To support this incredible organization, Martin Puris, big-time ad-man, and his wife Mary Puris have graciously opened their home to the event. Karen Pearl, CEO of the charity, looks forward to "sharing a memorable evening with long-time and new friends of God's Love We Deliver ... All of our guests will be there to support our life-sustaining mission, as every ticket sold provides one month of freshly prepared and nutritious meals for those who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves."

Midsummer Night Drinks. June 13, Whimsy Farm (home of Mary and Martin Puris), 790 Sagg Road North, Sagaponack. 6 to 9 p.m. will be served. Tickets range from $300 to $1,250 per person and are available at 212-294-8162, or by emailing msd@glwd.org.