Jean Shafiroff, Diego Luna ©Patrick McMullan

Surgeons of Hope, a non-profit organization that provides heart surgeries to infants and children in Latin America, hosted their annual gala chaired by Philanthropist and Author Jean Shafiroff. The nonprofit honored Diego Luna, star of Narcos: Mexico and Star Wars: Rogue One and Surgeons of Hope Heart Ambassador, and Publicis Groupe Supervisory Board Chairman Maurice Lévy. The night kicked off with a special performance by Baila Conmigo – a high-energy Latin dance group which recently toured with Jennifer Lopez. The gala was held at the JW Marriott Essex House in New York City.

Jean Shafiroff, Philanthropist and Author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, chaired this year’s Gala. Jean brought in about a quarter of the money raised and brought in a good portion of the guests at the gala. Jean was honored by Surgeons of Hope in 2014. Publicis Health, Stifel, Full Circle, Soma, Marina B and Acker Wines sponsored the evening.

The event highlighted Surgeons of Hope’s lifesaving work with babies and children in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Paraguay. Since 2013, the organization has provided over 1,700 infants and children with lifesaving surgery in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Paraguay and held over 30 week-long medical and surgical training missions to build local expertise in pediatric cardiac care.

Notable attendees included President of Surgeons of Hope Eduardo da Cruz, Ingrid Arneberg and Will Marin, New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright, Martin Shafiroff, Pamela O’Connor, Elizabeth Shafiroff and Richard Ballard, Maria and Ken Fishel, Ruth Miller, Ariadna Vera and Ignacio Bustindui, Odile and Michel Longchampt, Jane Scher, and Alexandro and Alejandra Posse.

For more information, please visit website https://surgeonsofhope.org/

Photo Credit: ©Patrick McMullan

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