Harvest Moon Ball in Palisades

On Saturday, October 9th, many residents of Palisades danced by the light of the moon at the 2010 Harvest Moon Ball on the beautiful campus of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory on 9W. The event raised funds and awareness for Nyack Hospital’s newly designed Emergency Department at Nyack Hospital.

The weather for the evening was perfect if crisp and guests enjoyed a spectacular view of the Hudson River overlooking the Palisades. The evening began with cocktails on the lawn of historic Lamont Hall where guests listened to the Brazilian rhythms of Philip Galinsky’s trio Samba New York! Dinner was served inside a magnificent chandaliered tent with table setting, candles and flowers designed by the talented Ned Kelly. The exquisite food was created by Peter Kelly and, as always, was a delight to the palette. Ned was the MC for the evening and kept the show light and festive.

The fabulous and generous Kelly brothers carried the evening and proceeded to run the live auction. Among the wonderful auction items donated by Palisades residents were an exquisite diamond necklace donated by Sally Morrison, and extraordinary bicycles donated by Carine Joannau. The guests were delighted when the donated bicycles were ridden around the dance floor by the waiters for display.

The band was exceptional and the dance floor remained crowded for the entire evening. It is evident that Palisadians are the best and most enthusiastic dancers in Rockland County.

Guests were welcomed by Dr. David H. Freed, President and CEO of Nyack Hospital, and the host, G. Michael Purdy, Director of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Dr. Freed spoke about the changes being made at our community hospital and its further plans for development. Dr. Purdy welcomed guests to his beautiful campus and spoke eloquently about the on-going relationship between Lamont and neighboring Palisades.

Through the collaborative efforts of physicians, nurses and other members of the healthcare team, the Emergency Department at Nyack Hospital has become one of our nation’s best for safety, quality of care and patient satisfaction. Nyack Hospital has made long wait times a thing of the past by introducing a 30-Minute ER Service Standard. Overcrowding and long wait times in hospital emergency rooms are familiar problems, but patients who arrive at Nyack Hospital’s Emergency Room have medical care initiated within 30 minutes of arrival.

No one plans on visiting the Emergency Department, but it’s nice to know that when emergencies happen, Nyack, our community hospital, is right here.