The organization CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy,  which Connie Milstein sits on the board, is “dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy by raising funds for research and by increasing awareness of the prevalence and devastation of this disease.”  It does this through research grants, sponsored conferences, advocacy and increasing public awareness.  CURE  also  sets up enjoyable charitable events,  such as the upcoming 22nd annual Loeffel Epilepsy Golf Benefit.

22nd Annual Loeffel Epilepsy Golf Benefit

The upcoming annual epilepsy golf benefit, organized by CURE, looks to be a very enjoyable event.  Apart from having a good time and participating in an auction and golf dinner, one will be benefiting a very worthy cause.  The day starts with registration and warm-ups from 7:30am and ends with awards, auction, raffle and dinner at 6:00pm.  CURE does great work through its volunteer-base of individuals who seek to “protect their children from the devastation of seizures and the side effects of medication” who suffer from epilepsy.

NYU is set to have a 12^th location as part of its semester long study abroad program. Thanks to the generous $10 million contribution from Connie Milstein, they will soon begin construction on the 75,000 square foot building to be located at northwest L Street.  This new location will join cities such as London, Shanghai and Tel Aviv in offering an exceptional study abroad experience for students from NYU.

As Connie Milstein explains, “For me, the idea of higher education is non-negotiable. The better educated our children are, the greater our opportunities we have to achieve peace in our world.”

This new location will be for students who are interested in journalism, political science and American history, and it will include lecture halls, seminar rooms and dormitories.  Students will also enjoy internships with government offices and nongovernmental organizations.

Connie Milstein, this year’s Heart’s Delight Chair, and her husband, Jehan-Christophe de La Haye Saint Hilaire, enjoyed a table that was filled with interesting guests at the Vintner’s Dinner.  Such guests included President Obama’s HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Ambassador Capricia Marshall.  In addition, Ambassador of Monaco Gilles Norghes and his wife Ellen were seated there, as were the new deficit czar Bruce Reed and his wife, Bonnie LePard.

The Vintner’s Dinner, included approximately 400 guests.  Guests enjoyed a six-course meal and distinguished wines from Chateau Margaux.

The evening was emceed by CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante.  In attendance were Betsey Apple, Dee Dee Myers and Todd Purdum, John Coale, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Kathleen Parker, and ABC News’ reporter Jonathan Karl, among many others.

If you’re staying in a Relais & Chateaux hotel, you know you’ve made it.  Entry into this exclusive collection of 480 top-rated luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants in 55 countries is not offered lightly.  First created in France in 1954, this association accepts the finest, most outstanding properties that exhibit a unique character.

The Jefferson in Washington, D.C., whose recent renovations were directed by Ogden CAP Properties, LLC where Connie Milstein is the Principal and Co-Founder, is the first Relais & Chateaux hotel in Washington, D.C.  Certainly, they are thrilled to have this honor bestowed upon them and they welcome guests to their distinguished and outstanding hotel location.

Each year, the American Heart Association’s Heart’s Delight Auction is held in Washington D.C.  This year, the event took place from May 6-8 and Connie Milstein was the Event Chair.  The Vintners Dinner, which is part of the Heart’s Delight program, included a lavish six course meal that was accompanied by eight wines from Bordeaux.  This picture captured some of the excitement of the event.

Pictured here are Tammy Haddad, Coale Cooley’s John Coale, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Constance Milstein Countess de La Haye St. Hilaire.

Spring is the season for blossoming flowers and trees, warming weather trends, and graduation events and commencements. This year, at the 2010 commencement for the prestigious New York University, Connie Milstein will be honored with the coveted “Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society” award. This honor is being bestowed upon Connie Milstein in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to society as a lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, as well as an alumna of NYU.

This year’s Commencement Exercises will be held on May 12, at Yankee Stadium. The President of NYU, John Sexton and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Martin Lipton, announced in March the names of all those that will be honored at the event.

In addition to Connie Milstein, several other notable people are receiving honors from NYU. Among them is the actor Alec Baldwin, who was one of the co-hosts of this year’s Academy Awards, who will address the graduates and guests and receive a Doctor or Fine Arts degree, honoris causa, at the ceremony.

Wayne Shorter, the award-winning jazz musician and composer is a NYU Steinhardt alumnus. He will also receive a Doctor or Fine Arts degree, honoris causa.

Merryl Tisch, the chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents and NYU alumna will be receiving the “Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City” in recognition of her contribution to the improvement of the quality of life in New York.

The much-awaited Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has many incredible features and assets.  As a driving force behind the project, Connie Milstein and her family helped to pave the way for this comprehensive inpatient and outpatient facility.

The new facility includes amazing specialists who bring expertise in coronary artery disease, electrophysiology and more to the center.  It has 20 new cardiac ICU beds, offers non-surgical alternatives, features a dedicated Diabetes and Heart Education Center and a Preventive Cardiology Program, and includes an environmentally friendly and award-winning design.  The building features recycled materials and is supposed to be 30% more energy efficient than a standard building.  The new facility has already received the 2009 Award of Merit in Health Care from New York Construction Magazine.

Last February Connie Milstein helped make a Blue Star Family event all the more sweet by donating brownies from Connie’s Bakery, another of Mrs. Milstein’s philanthropic endeavors. On February 18, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm BSF organized a “Story Book Fantasy Night” at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. Organized by Mr. Gary Gutshall of BSF, about 100 people were in attendance. Included were about 50 children, 50 parents and another 25 or so in support of the event or to provide information about the various organizations which could be of help to the families at Quantico Marine Corps Base.

The Marketing Manager for MCCS (Marine Corps Community Service), Ms. Cindy Busy, opened the evening with a short description of the planned activities for the night and also acknowledged those that donated to the event,  Connie’s Bakery and  Neiman Marcus, who donated brownies and books, respectively.

The evening consisted of a buffet style dinner and then a book reading rotation where several groups of children listened to a fairy tale story told to them by a volunteer dressed in the costume of their own favorite fairy tale character. After 20 minutes each group rotated to the next “station” to hear another story. Each child received a coupon to be redeemed for a book from MCCS or from those books donated by Neiman Marcus. As they left for the evening each family received a brown container with brownies from Connie’s Bakery.

Suzanne Milstead of BSF explained to the participants that the donations from Connie’s Bakery and Neiman Marcus were their way of saying “thank you” for everything the soldiers and their families have sacrificed for the benefit of everyone in America.

Blue Star Families is an amazing organization which gives others an opportunity to say “Thank you” to those dedicated, self-sacrificing individuals who give everything to make sure the United States and its people continue to remain safe and free.

Organized by military families in order to support those families, BSF is a member-driven group with representatives in over 70 different military bases all over the world. This huge network is supported by an active, core leadership, the National Leadership Team, composed of family members and the spouses of the active duty individuals, including national guardsmen, reservists and veterans serving in all the various military branches all over the United States.

Due to the interest and concern Connie Milstein has shown for military families through the years makes her support of Blue Star Families not surprising. Recently Mrs. Milstein strengthened her dedication to the cause of BSF and became a member of the board and the BSF Director in Washington, D.C. BSF is an organization uniquely suited to Connie Milstein’s many interests, especially her concern for the humanitarian side of international affairs and military actions.

For many years Connie Milstein has been a supporter of a large number of different areas of medical research. Recently Mrs. Milstein added CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy) to her list of organizations that she supports by becoming a member of the Board of Directors.

Connie Milstein is not just dedicated to finding a cure for this tragic disease, but she is also striving to make headway in the difficult task of reducing, and eventually eliminating, the terrible stigma that those who suffer from epilepsy must also endure in our society.