Connie Milstein Awarded Medal at NYU Commencement

Connie Milstein is a graduate of New York University. She is now serving as a Trustee there, and in 2009 Mrs. Milstein was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the College of Arts and Science in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements.

This year “The Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society” was presented to Connie Milstein in March for her work as a lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist at the Commencement Exercises for the 2010 graduating class of New York University.

The well-known actor and alumnus of NYU, Alec Baldwin spoke at the 2010 Commencement Exercises, which are the 178th for NYU and which took place at Yankee Stadium. Alec Baldwin was one of the co-hosts of the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony, and he is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Baldwin himself will be honored at the commencement ceremony with a Doctor of Fine Arts Degree, honoris causa.

Dining, Drinking & Auctioning for the Heart

The American Heart Association is thrilled to announce the 2010 Chairman of their Heart’s Delight three day program. This year, Connie Milstein will be the chair of this mega event. Certainly, she has proven herself to be dedicated to heart research and has, most recently, been the driving force behind the creation of the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Heart’s Delight is a premier destination event where people can enjoy master winemaking and amazing culinary treasures, while raising money for heart research. This year’s three day program will take place from Thursday, May 6^th 2010 through Saturday May 8^th.

On Thursday there will be a Private Dinner Series in embassies, restaurants and private homes in Washington D.C. Friday will include a Vintners Dinner. The program culminates on Saturday with wine tastings, food classes, a silent auction, a live auction and more.

Connie Milstein at Opening of New Heart Center

Already well known for its excellent medical facility, the prestigious New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center has opened the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center. This incredible, cutting-edge facility will help NY Presbyterian remain one of the leading facilities for cardiac care in the country; rated among the top ten in the United States by U.S. News and World Report, and the number one hospital for cardiac care in New York. NY Presbyterian has one of the lowest mortality rates for patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure or with heart attacks. The hospital also does more heart transplants than any other in the United States.

Connie Milstein represented her family at the opening ceremony for the new, six story, 142,000 square foot building, for which they donated $50 million of the $260 million needed for construction or the building and outfitting it in the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly way possible.

Connie Milstein & The Blue Star Families

In addition to her many philanthropic activities, Connie Milstein now adds one more. She has recently joined the Board of Directors of the Blue Star Families. Blue Star Families does an amazing amount of work in support of military personnel and their families. The Blue Star Families’ chapters get together to offer support and friendship to each other. They also receive all sorts of equipment and toys for their bases and units, helping those who are serving America to do so better, while enriching the lives of their family members.

Connie will bring a unique perspective to the Blue Star Families’ team with her vast philanthropic knowledge and experience and her business acumen.

Charitable Support from Connie’s Bakery & General Store

Certainly, if you’ve ever been to Connie’s Bakery & General Store, owned by Connie Milstein, then you know that you can find delicious food and baked goods. What you might not know is that 100% of the after-tax profits go to 6 charitable organizations that Connie selects each year. These organizations receive Connie Milstein’s financial support, and are also promoted at the store and on the website. Three of the organizations to receive Connie’s Bakery & General Store support at the moment include:

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley – This non-for-profit organization collects large donations of unmarketable but still edible food and distributes it to nearly 370 member agencies in six counties in the Hudson Valley.

Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley – This not-for-profit organization provides home health care in the Westchester Community to those who need services, regardless of their ability to pay.

Veteran’s Hospital of Castle Point – This hospital in New York offers a large array of services to veterans who have served their country.

Recent Breakthrough in Epilepsy Research

Recently, two researchers offered an exciting breakthrough for epilepsy research. The two researchers who had grants from CURE, where Connie Milstein is on the Board, included Daniela Kaufer, PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and Alon Friedman, MD, PhD from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

Together, these researchers have shown that the drugs known as TGF-beta blockers have prevented epilepsy in rats who experience brain injuries. Should these findings be confirmed in humans, it would mean that the TGF-beta blockers could prevent many cases of epilepsy which occur in accident victims, in soldiers leaving war zones and more.

Their findings have been made possible by the CURE’s program, Prevention of Epilepsy after Traumatic Brain Injury, in partnership with the United States Army Medical Research and Material Command. Now in its third year, this research is intended to look at the impact that traumatic brain injuries have on epilepsy and to develop intervention and treatments against this outcome.

Blue Star Families Lend Support to Soldiers

One of the most recent projects led by the Blue Star Families is the Operation Appreciation program. The Blue Star Families Military Life Issues Survey found overwhelmingly (94%) that the public doesn’t understand or fully appreciate what the military is doing each day and the sacrifices they are making.

Blue Star Families, including Board of Directors member Connie Milstein, started “Operation Appreciate” to express gratitude to those in the field. This initiative invites community members to write letters of support to the military families. The person sending the card can send it to the parent, spouse or child of a military member, or to a veteran in the armed services.

This is a perfect activity for schools, Cub Scout and Brownie troupes, and more. It is a great opportunity to let military people know that others are thinking of them and appreciating the work that they are doing for America.