December 4, 2009 – New York’s philanthropic elite came out in full force on December 4th for an evening of bidding, dinner and a special performance by Dionne Warwick at the historic Cipriani 42^nd Street. The black tie event had a record attendance of over 500 people including board members and supporters of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club. The evening raised over $1 million that will go towards its mission of saving and enhancing the lives of over 5,000 of New York City’s neediest kids.

The night started with a silent auction featuring a plethora of items ranging from one-of-kind sports memorabilia to a Madison Section where bidders could contribute directly to items for the Clubhouses.

The entertainment for the evening featured a dance performance by The Columbus Clubhouse Dancers, a group of kids ranging in age from 6 to 18-years-old, that performed to a mix of traditional and hip hop holiday tunes. The crowd gave the performers a standing ovation and the room was abuzz with accolades for the professional quality performance.

Next came a dedication to author and alumnus, Irving Harris who recently completed Madison Square Memoir, The Magic and History of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club followed by a special presentation by artist Peter Max to winners of last year’s auction item, private portrait sessions.

Dinner was followed by a special performance by Dionne Warwick, performing her hit songs Say A Little Prayer and That’s What Friends Are For. Clubhouse member and promising aritst, Kristen Mason, presented a beautiful portrait of Warwick to the star.

Warwick's performance warmed the crowd up for bidding in the live auction led by C. Hugh Hildesley, Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s. Hot items for the night included an African safari and a private hockey session with hockey legend Phil Esposito who was on hand at the event.

“The event was a huge success for Madison and our guests really seemed to have a great time this year,” said Myles D. Gillespie, President of the Board of Trustees. 

Gillespie chaired this year’s event along with other board members including Nick Tomassino, Michael Geltzeiler, and Matt Petersen.

G. H. BASS & CO, New York Stock Exchange, Deloitte Touche, American Media, American Standard, Brown Brothers Harriman, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Gundersen Partners, Lamb Financial, Marlin & Associates, Microsoft, Price Waterhouse Cooper LLC, Reader's Diget, Violator Management, and Yahoo! all supported the event.