Like so many things in 2020, Cupcakes & Cocktails went online. The Museum’s annual fundraiser went virtual on October 8, creating a more inclusive event, as families and schools joined the invitee list, alongside individual donors, web journal advertisers, and corporate sponsors.
The 2020 fundraiser saw the Museum present the Great Friend to Kids Award to inaugural honorees Lisa and Lewis Warren. These community champions have dedicated 30 years of service and financial support to myriad charities, educational institutions and youth sports programs across the region. LICM found the perfect presenter for this award: Jenna Bush Hager, co-host, TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. The TV personality and best-selling author has a personal connection with the Museum award; her grandmother Barbara Bush received the national Great Friend to Kids Award from the Association of Children’s Museum in 2003.
"Lolly Lardpop" and Sesame Street puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, performer of “Abby Cadabby,” hosted the virtual program featuring an array of special guests, including Guinness Book of World Records-holding bubble master, Jeff Boyer. The virtual audience also watched science educators bring complex science themes to life through silly science experiments and saw Mica Hendricks complete a commissioned painting (“Bridges”) using time lapse photography, as well as a stop motion animation feature on Black Lives Matter.
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A special feature was a new music video made in the Museum just for this event featuring the award-winning Uniondale High School Show Choir Rhythm of the Knight singing “Brand New Day” from The Wiz bringing the uplifting energy and feeling to the theme of the event.
Rhythm of the Knight show choir members matched the vibrancy of the Museum in a special music video created for the Museum’s online Cupcakes & Cocktails.
The night’s theme, "Building Bridges to a Brighter Future,” highlighted the Museum’s deep connections with the community and the essential role it plays as a welcoming and accepting space for all to explore, play and create … together. Moving and humorous stories from LICM families, staff, educators and community partners highlighted LICM’s impact.
The annual event exceeded its fundraising goal, raising $650,000 to support live and virtual Museum experiences to help address the financial shortfall from our months of closure when all revenue streams stopped.
Kudos to Event Co-Chairs Scott Burman (Principal, Engel Burman & President, EB Construction) and Scott Rechler (President & CEO, RXR Realty) for their leadership and long-standing commitment to the Museum.
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Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors!
Leadership
Roni Kohen-Lemle and Robert S. Lemle
Debby and Scott Rechler, Rechler Philanthropy
Community
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Neighborhood
Bianca and Scott Burman
Cushman & Wakefield
Museum
Alliant Insurance Services
Engel Burman
Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation
The Signature B&B Companies
Mulligan Security
Lisa and Lewis Warren
Family
ABM
AmTrust Title
The Bahnik Foundation
Toni and Richard Ferrucci
The Foskett Family Foundation
Lisa Greene and Richard Hamburger
Laura C. Lemle
Paula, Michael, Lauren, Elise & Jillian Maturo
People’s United Bank
PSEG Long Island
Amy and Ronald Storch
John Utendahl
VHB
Children’s
CBM Corp
Friedman LLP
Hofstra University
Lakeville Pace Mechanical
Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella, and Yedid, P.C.
Lincoln IT
Macedo Construction
Makena Capital Management
David and Michelle Matteini
Rampart Insurance Services
Triangle Building Products Corp.
Waiter Tyranski Family
Underwriters
Janice Michelle Foundation
Advantage Title
Chubb
Precision Carpentry of Westchester, Inc.
Steel Equities
PSEG Long Island
Einbinder Development
Adrienne Robb-Fund and Jay Fund, Hunter Business School
Susan Burman
First Development Corp
Lee and Laura Ferrucci
JPR Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc.
Major corporate sponsors from a range of industries showed their support for Cupcakes & Cocktails Online.