ON SCENE Local Sports Personalities Join enCourage Kids Serving Up Smiles Event (VIDEO) Justin Hartley, NBC This Is Us, took over the web and hosted the enCourage Kids Serving Up Smiles event along with Ryan Field, ABC Sports Anchor. by Denise Gonzalez December 10, 2020 Recently, Justin Hartley, NBC This Is Us, took over the web and hosted the enCourage Kids Serving Up Smiles event along with Ryan Field, ABC Sports Anchor, who emceed the event with Michele Hall Duncan live from Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse in NYC. Culinary Chair, Ralph Scamardella, Chef & Partner at TAO Group, Chef John Cleveland – Executive Chef & Owner Post & Beam LA, and Chef Jessica Scott – Corporate Pastry Chef 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, demoed their favorite dishes while guests had the opportunity to hop-in and out of the session rooms. Hartley was joined by musical guest Acute Inflections, Matias Letelier – Illusionist and Katrina “Kat Tat” Jackson – Commercial & Tattoo Artist. Duncan was surrounded by some former great football players such as NY Giants Super Bowl Champions Howard Cross and Luke Petitgout and former NY Jets star Tony Richardson, long-serving supporters of the organization. Guests enjoyed live music, seeing world-class chefs in the Kitchen, mixologists in the Bar, bidding on some great experiences and making memories in the photobooth. DJ Chef hosted the after party where attendees were dancing around their homes and singing along to some of the greatest hits. “It was exciting to see how the event came together after months of preparation,” said Michele Hall Duncan. “I’m so grateful for the continued support of the sponsors, guests and athletes who continue to support us throughout the year. I look forward to continuing to fulfill our mission in making hospitals a better place to get better.” The enCourage Kids honored Cory Elbaum (Angelo Gordon) and Rob Turner (Eastdil Secured, LLC) with the Jeffrey Gural Leadership Award. Dr. Kusum Viswanathan (Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center) received the Healthcare Leadership Award. Sponsors included Revel Spirits, GFP Real Estate, Signature Bank, Humana and Feil Family Foundation. Serving Up Smiles as well as the mission of the organization has been supported by many in Hollywood such as Steve Schirripa, Susan Sarandon, Katie Holmes, Shannon Elizabeth, Suzzanne Douglas and Anne Hathaway as well as professional athletes such as John Starks, Erik Coleman, Charles Oakley, Tony Richardson, Howard Cross, Luke Petitgout and Zab Juddah, to name a few. About enCourage Kids Foundation Since 1985, enCourage Kids Foundation has helped humanize healthcare for children and their families by resourcing impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the Child Life Community. Serving more than one million children annually, enCourage Kids is focused on making hospitals a better place to get better. Our programs offer relief from the constant burden of treatment, hospital stays, and doctor appointments, while also helping pediatric facilities to meet the unique needs of their patients. enCourage Kids Foundation envisions a world where every child–regardless of the difficulty of his or her medical journey—experiences joy, hope, resilience, and healing. www.encourage-kids.org About Michele Hall Duncan Michele (President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation) began her career at enCourage Kids as a volunteer and joined the program staff full-time in 1996. Having been hospitalized for a serious illness as a child, Michele felt a deep connection to the mission and quickly rose within the organization to oversee all programming. For more than two decades she has cultivated relationships with Child Life staff and all levels of hospital administration, as well as developed an integral understanding of trends in creative therapies and the ability to identify and meet the needs of our hospital partners. Combined, these attributes have helped Michele position enCourage Kids to be at the forefront of state-of-the-art programming in pediatric healthcare. Michele is a Trustee of Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation; serves on the Advisory Board of one of the nation’s leading anti-bullying organizations, STOMP Out BullyingTM; and is a board member of the New York City chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she also serves on the Professional Advancement Committee. A native of Flint, Michigan, Michele is a proud graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Advertising and has been an active associate member of the Essex Hudson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. for 10 years. Michele has been featured in publications such as Authority, Medium, Thrive Global, Social Lifestyle, Industry Rules, Times Square Chronicles, Resident and networks such as CBS, NBC, FOX, FOX Good Day, ABC and Spectrum1, to name a few. Post Views: 552 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Denise Gonzalez Latest posts by Denise Gonzalez (see all) Local Sports Personalities Join enCourage Kids Serving Up Smiles Event (VIDEO) - December 10, 2020 The Players Alliance Launches Mobile Tour w/ Pull Up Neighbor (VIDEO) - December 5, 2020 Women in Sports Interview Series: It’s a sure bet with Philadelphia native, Erin Kate Dolan (VIDEO) - March 17, 2020 Women in Sports Interview Series: National Lacrosse League Host & Producer, Devan Kaney (VIDEO) - March 16, 2020 Related TopicsCharles OakleyDenise GonzalezEncourage Kids FoundationHoward Crossin the zoneMichele Hall-Duncan Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 How To Avoid Scams When Purchasing Football Tickets Online by Guest | posted on July 23, 2020 XFL Co-Owner Dany Garcia Talks Business, Serving Others at espnW Women + Sports Summit by Candace Cordelia | posted on October 23, 2020 Women in Sports: Ariel Epstein, On-Air Host at SportsGrid (VIDEO) by Anthony Paradiso | posted on March 12, 2021 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 More in ON SCENE You Know I’m Right, Episode 106: Newsday’s Neil Best (Audio/Video) On the 106th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Next Level Indoor Golf (Video) Want to golf but don’t belong to a country club? Interested in learning how... The Players Alliance Launches Mobile Tour w/ Pull Up Neighbor (VIDEO) The Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization comprised of more than 150 active and former... Somerset Patriots one of few baseball teams to salvage the 2020 season (Video) With a limit on outdoor gatherings, the Patriots needed as many fans as possible... Nike And Jordan Brand Reach a Multi-Year Deal To Outfit UCLA Athletes You Know I’m Right, Episode 61: NBC Sports’ Pierre McGuire (Audio)