Column: Six-figure bandage eases charity's financial pain from scammer's spring sting

Cathy Herschcopf and Myles Fuchs
Cathy Herschcopf and Myles Fuchs
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This is like hiring someone to patch a hole in the plaster and Leonardo da Vinci shows up at the door.

In this scenario, Cathy Herschcopf is the Leonardo, and the hole being patched is the $150,000 ding sustained by the 211 organization last spring at the grubby hands of fugitive scammer jamma Alan Todd May, aka Jacob Turner.

More Palm Beach society news here.

When Cathy ― who became a 211 supporter after being introduced to the organization by her friends Guy Clark and Harrison Morgan ― joined the the Capital Campaign Committee, she decided to make a gift in honor of her parents Bill and Sylvia Herschcopf.

“I am so grateful to Guy and Harrison for introducing me to 211 and opening my eyes to the critical services 211 provides to our community and to 211’s immediate need for a new building,” Cathy said.

Her original figure was about $50K, but she opted for $150,000 to help heal the scammer wound.

Dang. That is one dee-luxe bandage.

The gift was announced at the 7th annual Lifeline Luncheon on Nov. 9 at the Kravis and will be used to name a new staff garden after her parents.

“Cathy's support for 211 is truly inspiring," said Sharon L’Herrou, president and CEO of 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast. "Introduced to the organization by her friends Guy Clark and Harrison Morgan, Cathy quickly became a sponsor of the Spring 2023 Raise the Roof event and visited our facility to see firsthand the need for the capital campaign."

Demand for 211's services has increased significantly, causing it to outgrow its current headquarters space, which has reached the end of its useful life and is not hurricane-rated. A new 12,000-square-foot hurricane-rated building is planned.

The best party invitation like, ever
The best party invitation like, ever

Caviar with fur ―Well, here's an invitation that's hard to toss in the recycling bin: a tin of caviar.

Friends of Caviar Jaminet, the hairy, four-legged son of Michelle Jaminet, celebrated his birthday with his mom's friends ... along with a barrel of champagne and a giant tin of caviar.

Not for the dog, of course. He got Snausages.

And no squeaky toys for this cool canine. Guests were asked to give to The Shutterbug Foundation — a small, all-volunteer nonprofit that supports brain tumor research and the Michael J. Jaminet Memorial Scholarship at Kent State University.

After several sips of bubbly ― not that we were counting ― the guests coaxed the hostess to show them a private screening of her 1982 stint on "Wheel of Fortune," which provided the evening’s entertainment and lots of laughter.

Tough crowd, they.

There: Bruce Coren, Stan Collemer, Tracy Fulham, Susan Furman and her dog Ginger, Elizabeth Good, Arlette Gordon, Debra Le Vasseur, Sarah Mahoney, Laurie Martuscello, Bob Munden, Allison Tardonia, Skira Watson and a bunch more who marvel that anybody would buy a vowel when they could get consonants for free.

Iris Apfel
Iris Apfel

Timeless Iris ― Being age 102, apparently, is not taking enough of Iris Apfel's energy.

The geriatric starlet has a new book.

In "Colorful," (Abrams; $50 hardcover) Iris shares more than 100 years of vibrant living through treasured personal photographs, archive fabric designs from her renowned Old World Weavers brand, and of course her iconic looks.

She also shares her wit and wisdom on creativity, longevity, and everyday living.

Some of her pearls:

  • There's inspiration everywhere if you choose to see it.

  • Don’t overthink it. Every work is not a creation. Some things just happen.

  • Take every chance to celebrate.

  • Aging is a fact of life and when your mind is busy, you don’t hurt so much. I enjoy my bed. But you must get up.

That one's our favorite. Except for the last part.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: A look at a healing gift, a centenarian scribe, and a dog of a party