Charity season is in full swing in New York, and no event has eye candy like the God’s Love We Deliver gala, which was held at Spring Studios last night. The org’s 11th annual Golden Hearts dinner was co-chaired by GLWD angel Michael Kors, Kate Hudson, Sandra Lee, Blaine Trump, John Idol, Nell Diamond and Sarah Arison, and honored Gwyneth Paltrow, Broadway producer Jordan Roth, and outstanding volunteer Jon Gilman.
The eve kicked off with cocktails and bites from chefs such as Amanda Freitag and Michael Anthony before guests moved to another floor for a rousing and jaw-dropping welcome by actress Sarah Jones, a Tony winner for her one-woman show Bridge & Tunnel. Jones introduced the crowd using a faux-British accent (we fell for it) before morphing into several different voices and characters, all while touting the accomplishments of God’s Love We Deliver. The starry and model-heavy guest list included Kate Hudson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gabrielle Union, Amber Valletta, Jourdan Dunn, Carolina Herrera, Ashley Graham, Princess Olympia of Greece, Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, Blythe Danner, Ine Neefs, Garrett Neff, Eric Rutherford, Jason Morgan, Eian Scully, Hilary Rhoda, Jessica Hart, Lameka Fox, Derek Blasberg, and the original Wonder Woman Linda Carter. (We also spotted Leonardo DiCaprio at a non-model table.)
The first award was presented by Andrew Rannells to Broadway producer Jordan Roth (currently producing Bruce Springsteen‘s sold-out Great White Way debut), who received the Golden Heart Award for Lifetime Achievement. “This is the most exquisitely titled organization in the history of ever,” Roth said during his speech. “The notion that we can deliver God’s love. No he or she, but we.” Kors presented Paltrow with the award named after him for Outstanding Community Service. He told guests that his relationship with Paltrow dates back to when he was designing Céline and they met up while she was on a break from filming The Talented Mr. Ripley. “Amazing that it was 20 years ago and she’s 24 and I’m 27!,” he quipped. “I’ve learned in those 20 years since that she is truly one of those women who can do it all. She’s smart, she’s strong, she’s funny, she’s a great mom, a fabulous friend, a successful businesswoman, an Academy Award-winning actress, a kick-ass singer, and incredibly chic! All at that same time.” The lovefest continued when Paltrow (in a stunning silver leaf sequined Michael Kors Collection dress) accepted her award. “There are very few people who put their money where their mouth is,” she said. “Michael Kors, you are so generous. You’re such a role model for all of us and it comes from this incredible heart that you have and it’s why we’ve been friends for so many years. Being in your world is always such an incredible feeling.”
The evening raised a whopping 2.3 million dollars and included an announcement that Calvin Klein donated an additional $1 million. God’s Love is the New York metropolitan area’s leading provider of life-sustaining meals and nutrition counseling for people living with severe illnesses. As host Jones noted at the beginning of the night, “With everything going on in the world right now, I’m grateful that an organization like God’s Love We Deliver exists. If you guys were our government, I feel like Puerto Rico would have food right now.” Ain’t that the truth.
Photos: David X. Prutting/BFA Courtesy of Michael Kors
