Share’s sixth annual A Second Helping of Life, held on September 21st at Pier 60 at Chelsey Piers with over 700 attendees (New York City) raised $405,000 for SHARE to provide peer support for women living with breast or ovarian cancer.

The event — successfully coordinated by M. Young Communications  — featured 25 of New York’s female chefs, guest female mixologists, actresses, editors and 22 fine wines and spirits all who donated their time, talents and products to support SHARE, a not for profit organization run by ovarian and breast cancer survivors.

I ran into actress Kathleen Chalfant, an incredibly talented actress who I had seen on stage at Long Wharf Theatre (CT) in the Pulitzer-prize winning play Wit.  She was Vivian, a terminally ill patient with stage four ovarian cancer. How fitting, I thought, to befriend her at this fund-raiser. Kathleen was partnered with Barbara Sibley, chef from La Palapa. Stay tuned to read about my visit to that restaurant and her just publishe cookbook.

The evening’s auction included a pink Vespa and dinner for four at Rao’s. The former (seen in the photo to the left with Melanie Young, president of M. Young Communications) sold for $5600, the dinner for $6000.

“New Yorkers have their priorities, you know, and one of the top is getting in to a hard-to-book restaurant!” said Melanie.

Some of those who gave their time, talent and products included: magazine food editors-in-chief Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appétit, Dana Cowin, Food & Wine and Ruth Reichl, Gourmet (which Conde Nast just announced it was closing!); guest chefs Amy Scherber, Amy’s Bread; Rebecca Charles, Pearl Oyster Bar; Gina DePalma, Babbo; Alex Guarnaschellim Butter; and Barbara Sibley, La Palapa; and actresses  Jayne Atkinson, Marylouise Burke, Kathleen Chalfant. Tandy Cronyn, Tovah Feldshuh, Rosemarie Harris, Jessica Hecht, Samantha Mathis and Robin Mattson.

You can make a difference in the lives of those touched by breast or ovarian cancer by supporting SHARE with a donation. To do so, click here.

– bonnie