This weekend The Ellen Hermanson Foundation hosted their biggest and most successful gala of all time, thanks to the incredible outpouring of support from the community. 

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Hundreds of supporters showed up to listen and love as their honorees spoke about everything the organization does and about the challenges still to come.

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The Ellen Hermanson Foundation expresses, "We cannot express how honored we are, or how much we plan to live up to your support in the coming months and years.  Our commitment to the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Ellen's Well has never been higher."

The event was chaired by Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff.

Honorees include Dr. Fredric I. Weinbaum, medical doctor, chief medical officer and chief operating officer of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and State Assemblywoman Rebecca A. Seawright.

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ABOUT ELLEN
Ellen Hermanson was an articulate, courageous and indomitable warrior in the war against breast cancer. Her personal battle with the disease began in February 1989, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer while still nursing her six-month-old daughter. Ellen fought against her disease medically by undergoing surgery and aggressive chemotherapy.

Ellen also fought against breast cancer by becoming an activist and advocate. A journalist by training, she used her prodigious talent as a writer to give voice to the needs of breast cancer survivors and to educate her readers about the importance of being well informed, the challenges of living with breast cancer, and the availability of resources to help with the myriad problems that arise as a result of breast cancer. Her remarkable accomplishments attest to her extraordinary inner strength and selfless generosity.

Ellen was appointed the first executive director of the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert. Ellen coordinated and organized their annual October symposium, bringing together doctors and lawyers to tackle cutting-edge issues in health law and policy confronting cancer patients. In the fall of 1992, Ellen was diagnosed with a recurrence of her disease, this time in her bones. Ellen continued her work. Although she underwent chemotherapy, and would remain on chemo for the rest of her life, her condition worsened. Ellen’s many projects included editing the Annual Report of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for 1993. In November 1994, Ellen delivered an important speech entitled “One Patient’s Pain” at the NCCS annual conference. She was weak, barely able to walk, and facing hip replacement surgery that her doctors agreed to delay until after the conference. It was at this conference that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke of her breast cancer.

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Ellen lost her hard-fought battle with breast cancer on April 11, 1995, at the age of 42. She was working on an article exploring the then new and exciting potential of the Internet as a source of information and sharing for patients and their families. Ellen left a legacy of dignity, courage, determination, grace and love to all who knew her. To honor her memory, The Ellen Hermanson Foundation has been established to support and continue the important work she began.

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The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center is proud to be designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Learn more about ACR accreditation. The Center offers a wide spectrum of breast health services, including education, early detection screenings and breast cancer treatment and support. The Center utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques, including computer-assisted mammography, ultrasound and a breast biopsy system that locates breast abnormalities and obtains tissue samples.

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HONOREES

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Dr. Fredric Weinbaum

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Dr. Fredric Weinbaum is a general surgeon in Southampton, New York. He received his medical degree from New York University Grossman School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Rebecca A. Seawright 

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Rebecca A. Seawright represents the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island in New York’s 76th Assembly District. As the first woman to serve the district and since her election in 2014, she is known as a strong voice for over 140,000 constituents, securing hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for public schools, senior centers, parks, and non-profits.

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Appointed by the Speaker in 2023, she holds the leadership position of Chair of the People with Disabilities Committee. Previously, she served in leadership as the Chair of the Majority Steering Committee, Secretary of the Majority Conference, and as Chair of the Task Force on Women’s Issues. Nominated by her colleagues, she serves as a Director of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and works with her colleagues as part of the Bipartisan Pro-Choice, Jewish, Environmental, and Gun Reform Legislative Caucuses. As a member of the Ways and Means; Banking; Codes; Higher Education; and Judiciary committees, Seawright is motivated to protect her constituents’ interests in our great State of New York.

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Inspired to renew the movement for the federal Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee that our rights are anchored in our state and U.S. constitutions, she is lead sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment to our New York State Constitution. For the first time, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the equal rights amendment as a ballot referendum in the 2024 general election. 

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A champion for high-quality, public education, Seawright champions our public schools and helped obtain more than $1 billion in new state support and sponsors the Teach LGBT curriculum bill to ensure that the NYS Education Department develops curriculum on the historical treatment of and contributions by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in America.

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A fighter for people with disabilities, she is advocating for direct support professionals and is the lead sponsor of legislation to establish a direct support wage enhancement.Her legislation for people with disabilities has been signed into law to increase representation of I/DD individuals on our state’s planning council and update outdated and harmful language in state statute.Leading the 44th Annual Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day with hundreds of advocates at the Capitol, Rebecca passed a package of bills to improve the lives of people with disabilities across New York including legislation for which she is lead sponsor to establish a Blue-Ribbon Commission to improve the service delivery system for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Rebecca fights for our community through major environmental and sustainability initiatives.She is a leading advocate for affordable housing and landmark housing reform laws to abolish vacancy decontrol and restrict rent hikes. A proponent of strong democratic values, Rebecca strongly supports reforms to run elections efficiently, accurately, and with integrity to protect our voting rights. Notably, for the 2020 General Election and the 2021 New York City Primary, Rebecca made national headlines successfully securing additional early voting and Election Day poll sites.

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Her bills have been signed into law requiring all those convicted of hate crimes to undergo tolerance training as a condition of their sentence and rehabilitation; reinstating the Clean Waterways Fund; capping annual fees from lenders; implementing a study on consumer financial literacy; streamlining boards of election; requiring health insurance policies to include 3-D Mammography at no cost to the consumer; encouraging greater representation of women on corporate boards; and identifying how many policy-making positions are held by women in the New York State government.

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Rebecca is the recipient of AHRC NYC hall of Honor ’24, Our Town Thanks You Award ’24; Dominican Women’s Development Center’s Champion of Social Justice Award’23; The City & State Manhattan Power 100 List ’22 & ’23; The Open Doors Nursing Home Lives Matter Awards’ 23 The Dan’s Papers Power List of East End’23; Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey National Disability Employment Awareness Month “Equity and Inclusion Champion” Award ’23;Interagency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Maggy Ames Legislative Champion Award ’23; The Schneps Media Power Women of Manhattan ’22, ‘23; The Schneps Media Power Women of The East End ’22, ‘23; Planned Parenthood Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Champion; The Queer Big Apple Corps Award ’22; Women’s eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st Century ’21; The Met's 13th Annual Women's Award '20; Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Fearless Girl Award ’19; A Place to Be(ad) Me Honoree ‘19; Super Happy Healthy Kids Black Tie Gala Honoree ’19; James Dudley Luce Foundation Humanitarian of the Year ’19; Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Elizabeth Rohatyn Award ’17; The New York Board of Rabbis Humanitarian Galal of the Year ’15; and The Feminist Press at The City University of New York 40th Anniversary honoree ’10.

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She formerly served for 8 years as Chair of the Board of the Feminist Press at the City University of New York, the oldest nonprofit literary publisher of feminist literature.Currently, she Chairs the CUNY Law School Board of Visitors. In 2023, Speaker Heastie appointed her to the City University of New York Construction Fund Board of Trustees.

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JEAN SHAFIROFF

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Jean Shafiroff is a philanthropist, humanitarian, TV host, writer, and the author of the book Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give. Jean is often referred to as “the first lady of philanthropy” by the press because of her generosity and extensive work as a volunteer fundraiser and leader in the philanthropic world. She serves on the boards of many charitable organizations and each year, she chairs upwards of eight different charity galas. She also hosts and underwrites large cocktail parties for different charities in her New York homes. Among the many causes she champions are those involved in women’s rights, the rights of underserved populations, health care, and animal welfare.

Jean serves on the boards of the Southampton Hospital Association, Mission Society of NYC, Couture Council of the Museum at FIT, French Heritage Society, Casita Maria, the NY Women’s Foundation, Global Strays, and Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Honorary Board. A Catholic, she has served on The Jewish Board, a large mental health service charity, for 28 years and now is one of their Honorary Trustees.

Jean served as the national spokesperson for American Humane’s “Feed the Hungry” COVID-19 program, an initiative that raised $1,000,000 to provide food for over 1,000,000 animals living in 109 different shelters across the United States.

For more information please visit https://www.ellenhermanson.org/

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