Making An Impact

Three generations of the Sandler family ladies are chairing “The New Directions” luncheon in Boca Raton March 4 at Boca West Country Club. The family, well-known for their philanthropic endeavors, has seen firsthand the impact eczema, food allergies and asthma can have on children. 

Phyllis Sandler, her daughters Amy Ross, Robin Rubin and Andrea Schnurmacher, along with granddaughters Ali Benmen and Brittany Kohn, combined their efforts to raise critically important funds for research at National Jewish Health, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation.

The guest speaker will be Michelle Bernstein, an acclaimed chef, author and restaurateur. 

Bernstein earned the coveted James Beard Award as well as bragging rights for beating Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” She is a regular guest on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The Miami native of Jewish and Latin decent is inspired by her culinary memories and travels. 

With her husband and partner, David Martinez, the chef owns and operates MBC Michelle Bernstein Catering Company, Sweet Liberty, along with their newest endeavor, Café La Trova, a Cuban-inspired bar and café in Little Havana. 

Just as with the Sandlers, pediatric allergies and asthma is a cause close to Bernstein’s heart. She has asthma and her son suffers with reflux. Both conditions are a part of the atopic march, a progressive condition in which eczema marches, or leads, to food allergies and then to asthma. There are currently no treatments to interrupt this progression.

National Jewish Health is home to one of the leading allergy-immunology research and treatment programs in the United States and is currently conducting groundbreaking studies to better understand and prevent the atopic march.

For more information, call 561-477-5400 or visit njhealth.org/FLNewDirections.