(Long Island, N.Y.) Long Islanders enjoyed a day of prom dress shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington, New York. Shoppers enjoyed a prom fashion show, sweets and pink ginger ale as they bopped to DJ Steven Charles Entertainment.
Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide teamed up with Scholarship America to celebrate prom season and raise funds for education. Customers who purchased an evening dress from the store between March 14th and April 17th will receive 15% off. Saks Fifth Avenue will then donate five percent of the purchase price of each dress sold during this time period to Scholarship America Inc., a nonprofit organization working to make education beyond high school possible for all students.
“Prom is one of the most special and fashion-centric occasions in a person’s life, and Saks Fifth Avenue is happy to celebrate this milestone with our clients and their families,” said Steve Sadove, Chairman & CEO, Saks Fifth Avenue. “Prom is also a time to consider one’s future. Our partnership with Scholarship America, which aims to secure the future of so many young people by making college a reality, is a perfect fit.”
Lauren A. Segal, President & CEO of Scholarship America, states “Scholarship America is kicking off our 50th year of helping students complete their education after high school, and we are honored to have been selected by Saks Fifth Avenue for this partnership. Funds raised through this effort will aid our establishment of a new national scholarship fund, which aims to help students complete their education and avoid excessive debt by providing financially meaningful, renewable scholarships.”
Scholarship America is a national education service organization that mobilizes support for students getting into and graduating from college. The organization has three core programs that help achieve their mission of Dollars for Scholars, Scholarship Management Services, and DreamkeepersSM. Scholarship America has distributed more than $2.5 billion in scholarship assistance to more than 1.7 million students since 1958.
More information is available at www.scholarshipamerica.org.
At the event I had a chance to chat with CEO Dennis Sneden of DSNY Group LLC. “With over 25 years of experience in the private sector, public service and business development I am proud to be the CEO of the DSNYgroup LLC. We are successful in providing companies, businesses and not-for-profits with complete business solutions,” revealed Mr. Sneden during our candid interview.
The DSNYgroup is a full service business development, integrated marketing, strategic consulting, public relations and event planning firm that partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue to create the Prom Party Event at Saks Fifth Avenue.
The company’s mission is to increase visibility, profitability and financial success of each firm that is in need of a marketing campaign. Dennis is currently working on an event that will be held on March 31st on the importance of National Women’s History Month. The event “Women Inspiring Success” will be held at Caryle on the Green at the Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, Long Island. The event will support the business development, networking and philanthropic achievement of the women’s community. For more information please visit www.dsnygroup.com.
Rosanne Slattery, Development Director of Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence was also at the Saks Fifth Avenue Prom Event to promote her organization LICADD.
LICADD’s mission is to address the addictive climate of our times by providing initial attention and referral services to individuals, families and children through intervention, education and professional guidance to overcome the ravages of alcohol and other drug-related problems.
This pioneer not-for-profit agency on Long Island has been on a mission to save lives for over fifty years. Their volunteers, supporters and staff are dedicated to assisting individuals, families and members of the workplace to prevent or recover from alcoholism and/or other drug addictions. They work to further this mission by being passionately engaged in many initiatives.
For more information on how you can help please visit www.licadd.org and for more information about events at Saks Fifth Avenue at the Walt Whitman Mall in Long Island, New York please visit www.saksfifthavenue.com.
Cast and crew celebrated the completion of the recent indie film ‘A Story About Ian’ at Gizzi’s Cafe in the West Village on March 25th in Manhattan. Guests and industry connected individuals enjoyed several screenings of the film, singers from the film performing, the film’s trailer, a screening of a fake commercial that was co-directed by actor and filmmaker Solomon Chertok and co-shot with Barry Brown and a Q & A with the audience.
The synopsis of the film ‘A Story About Ian’ is about twenty-five-year old Ian who is a not-so-recent graduate of a photography department at one of America’s prestigious universities. The character Ian, portrayed by Actor and Musician Matthew Dunehoo, is having a quarter-life crisis. Distraught Ian searches for the meaning of his life. He comes face to face with the fact that he hasn’t accomplished any of his goals. He hates his profession employed by a flamboyant, overzealous photographer Dean Roderick, portrayed by real life photographer Barry Brown. He is suspicious that his girlfriend Mia, portrayed by Zofia Nather, is cheating on him. To add to the complexity of the film Ian’s relationship with his father, portrayed by radio talk show host Evan Ginzburg of Legends Radio, is strained. Mr. Ginzurg was also the Associate Producer on the Mickey Rourke film ‘The Wrestler’. The film depicts escape from the restrictions in life beautifully produced, edited, and directed by Filip K. Kasperaszek.
Solomon Chertok was the Associate Producer and Casting Director for the film. The film was shot on the RED camera entirely on location in Manhattan and Queens.
The ensemble cast includes Lauren Francesca (famous for her Lady Gaga impersonation on the Barely Political website), TV host Hector Bosa, actor and filmmaker Solomon Chertok, Joe Sevier, Patricio Witis and Mauricio Bustamante. Guest appearances included singer/songwriter Michele Mupo, former female wrestler Dawn Marie, Scream Queens Debbie D, Tina Krause and female wrestler/former bodybuilder Melissa Coates.
At Gizzi’s cafe I had a chance to chat with the cast and crew including Associate Producer and Casting Director Solomon Chertok who invited me to the screening.
It has always been Solomon Chertok’s boyhood dream to be an actor. His love of film began when he saw the classic science fiction film ‘Star Wars’ on the big screen. Solomon has appeared in numerous independent films and recently has become involved in film production.
In 2005 Mr. Chertok established a New York City film event consisting of the screenings of independent features, shorts, animation, and documentaries. The much anticipated publicized event was a huge success and has become an annual event each year. This event showcases filmmakers and their productions in a non-competitive and fun environment providing networking with industry actors and fellow filmmakers. The event has assisted in introducing actors, singers, comedians, celebrities, casting agents, and production company representatives.
Solomon did crew work on a Batman fan film in the fall of 2007. The Amazing Adventures of Little Batman was directed by Joe Valenti of Valenti Vision Films. This film was produced by Jordan Wachtell of Wachtell Studios. The film pays homage to the Adam West 1966 TV Show and it has been screened at several top film festivals across the United States to standing ovations.
In January of 2008, Solomon did crew work on a documentary short film Lisa Loeb Songwriting Just Like You, directed by Joe Valenti for Valenti Vision Films. The documentary focuses on singer Lisa Loeb, who teams up with the Manhattan New Music Project to bring the art of songwriting to public school children.
Solomon was the associate producer for the short fan film Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls in Autumn 2008. Solomon assembled the cast and crew for Little Indy. It was an amazing experience for Solomon being involved in the creative process of making a fan film.
“What inspired you to create this film,” I inquired. “Basically it was the red camera that brought me on-board this movie. It’s an amazing camera. It’s the same camera that they used for the ‘Social Network’ and also they are using it for the ‘Spiderman’ reboot that they are filming right now,” revealed Solomon.
“Where did your love of film come from,” I asked. “The first movie I ever saw was ‘Star Wars’ in the movie theater. As a kid when you see it on the big screen you hear ba..ba..bam..bam.bam..it had an effect on me and that is why I wanted to be an actor. Basically I fell into a state of shyness until high school and then I made my transition where I did my first acting role which was in ‘A Few Good Men,’ my high school production. I played the Jack Nicholson role. If it wasn’t for that we wouldn’t be speaking today. Not to mention I am related to Edward G. Robinson, the late Zero Mostel as well as Paul Mazursky who directed ‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills,’ It’s in the family. It’s in my DNA,” announced Solomon.
I also interviewed celebrity female wrestler Melissa Coates who has a cameo appearance in the film. Ms. Coates is a female Canadian professional wrestler, fitness model, actress, and bodybuilder. Ms. Coates is perhaps known and famous for appearing in the first two seasons of the GS Network show ‘Extreme Dodgeball.’
For more information on this film please visit the film’s website www.storyaboutian.com.
