Star-studded PAL board to honor Deepak Chopra with new humanitarian award

Six outstanding individuals will be honored at this year’s annual Police Athletic League Women of the Year Luncheon to be held on Monday, December 10th at the Pierre Hotel.

The luncheon is chaired by Dolly Lenz, PAL Board Member, real estate guru and Douglas Elliman vice chairman. Liz Smith, the journalist and co-founder of wowowow.com will receive the Lifetime Award; Deepak Chopra, physician, best-selling author and leading authority on wellness will receive the inaugural Humanitarian Award; Patricia Altschul, philanthropist, Francine LeFrak, president of LeFrak Productions, Laura Desmond, Global Chief Executive Officer of Starcom MediaVest Group and Siobhan Schroth, Market Executive with Bank of America Merrill Lynch are also being recognized for their support of PAL’s mission.

Co-Chairs of the luncheon are Barbara Taylor Bradford, Margo Catsimatidis, Pamela J. Newman and Tara Stacom and this year’s benefit committee includes Joan Ganz Cooney, Caroline Hirsch, Veronica Kelly, Mary Higgins Clark and Margo McNabb Nederlander. Amelia Bernstein is Honorary Chair and radio and television personality Mark Simone, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Fashion designer Joanna Mastroianni will also present her Spring/Summer fashion collection.

Guests expected to attend include Grace Hightower De Niro, Michelle Caruso Cabrera, Katy Perry, Katie Couric, and Mariska Hargitay.

More than 600 guests will celebrate PAL’s crucial role in providing academic, artistic and athletic programs for over 40,000 children throughout the five boroughs.

“I’m pleased and delighted to chair this year’s luncheon and pay tribute to some of the most prominent supporters of this organization. Without them and many others, PAL would never be able to create the amazing life changing programs it provides to some of the most deserving children in New York,” said Dolly Lenz. “Robert Morgenthau, PAL’s Chairman, Robert McGuire, Vice Chairman, John Osborn, PAL President and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Honorary President join me in an ongoing commitment to PAL which, in its 99TH year of service, remains a vibrant and vital NYC institution”, Lenz added.

Previous honorees have included Lenz, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Brown, Joan Ganz Cooney, Katie Couric, Liza Minnelli, Kelly Ripa, Nancy Peretsman, Andrea Jung, Candice Bergen, Edie Falco, Georgette Mosbacher, and Diana Taylor.