The Seventh Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball

The 2010 UNICEF Snowflake Ball took place on November 30 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. In its seventh year, the black-tie gala celebrated the lighting of the UNICEF Snowflake and honor those individuals who have made key contributions to UNICEF's mission to save and improve children's lives worldwide. During the evening, UNICEF presented the Spirit of Compassion Award to Olivia Harrison.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF was honored to present this year's Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award to Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. Francoise accepted the award -- which is named for UNICEF's legendary Goodwill Ambassador - on behalf of all the UNICEF staff members who quickly and fearlessly responded to Haiti's unprecedented catastrophe earlier this year and continue to do so.

The 2010 Snowflake Ball featured stunning decor by HGTV star and award-winning architectural and interior designer Vern Yip—UNICEF's newest ambassador—including 22,000 twinkling lights to represent the number of children under five years old that die each day from preventable causes. The evening featured cuisine by UNICEF Ambassador Marcus Samuelsson and Wolfgang Puck, and special performances by Fistful of Mercy and ELEW. A live auction was led by Hugh Hildesley of Sotheby's.
The majestic UNICEF Snowflake—which hangs over the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City through autumn and winter—marks the beginning of the holiday giving season and serves as a reminder of UNICEF's commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes. The UNICEF Snowflake, donated by the Stonbely Family Foundation, was engineered and entirely handcrafted by designer Ingo Maurer and his team in Germany and is 23 feet in diameter, over 28 feet in height, weighs more than 3,300 pounds and uses 16,000 Baccarat crystal prisms.
The UNICEF Snowflake Ball, presented by Baccarat, was chaired by Claudia Lebenthal and Christine Stonbely with Barbara Bush and Maggie Betts serving as Gala Junior Chairs. Town & Country Editor-at-Large Pamela Fiori and internationally recognized interior designer Charlotte Moss served as UNICEF Snowflake Project Chairs.

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