More than 400 of New York’s real estate and business professionals crowded Ascent Lounge New York on June 7 for the AIR Society’s THE SKY’S THE

LIMIT benefit. David A. Falk, president New York Tri-State region of Newmark Knight Frank was honored at the event. The event raised more than $500,000 for National Jewish Health, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation.

“David’s passion and devotion to this cause is truly unbelievable. Each year, we generally raise $250,000-300,000. This year, with David’s help, we crushed it,” said Roger Silverstein, founding member and chair emeritus of the AIR Society and National Jewish Health national trustee.

After touring the hospital in Denver, Falk spent much of the past year sharing the mission of National Jewish Health with his friends and colleagues. Many of those people attended the AIR Society event where he received the Irving Borenstein Memorial Award for his devotion, talent and integrity in the real estate industry. Falk’s friend and the 2016 award recipient, Jonathon K. Yormak, presented the award to Falk.

“I’m honored to receive this award. Irving Borenstein was someone of great compassion, integrity and commitment to National Jewish Health and those are words that mean a lot to me,” Falk said.

National Jewish Health President and CEO Michael Salem, MD, thanked Falk for his tremendous fundraising efforts and spoke about the care and research taking place at the hospital. In particular, he talked about why the hospital is committed to curing severe asthma.

“For individuals with severe asthma, going to work or attending school can be a daily struggle,” Dr. Salem said. “Nighttime is not much easier for the parents of severe asthmatics. These parents spend many nights listening to their children’s breathing, hoping they won’t have to make another anxious 911 call and race to the hospital. These are real fears. Every day, 10 Americans die from asthma.”

Silverstein and his family have personal experiences with asthma and the care provided by National Jewish Health. "Because of the total commitment of the medical center to treat and cure diseases affecting the nervous system and the lungs, the lives of its patients have been forever transformed – including those of my family,” Silverstein said. Several members of the Silverstein family have battled food allergies and asthma.

Experiences with care at National Jewish Health led Silverstein and others to found the AIR Society and host fundraising events to help others benefit from the same care.

The 2018 THE SKY’S THE LIMIT committee included:

Co-Chairs:
Jennifer and Kyle Widay, Kaback Enterprises, Inc.

Chairs Emeriti:
Kathy A. Chazen, CLU, ChFC, National Financial Networks LLC
Peter Galperin, Galperin Design, Inc.
Stacey Silverstein; and Roger A. Silverstein, Silverstein Properties, Inc.

Leadership Committee:
Jordyn Comras, Robert K. Futterman & Associates
Ashley C. Earnest
Gregg D. Farber, Elevation Development Group
Marina Jamgotchian, Newmark Knight Frank
Mitch Karasik, EN-POWER GROUP
Michelle Kleger, Kensington Vanguard
Jesse Kugler, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Justin E. Magazine, PM Hotel Group
Jay M. Murnick, Murnick Property Group
Lee S. Murnick, Murnick Property Group
Haley Schluter, L’Oreal USA
Cassandra Siegel
Jared Siegel
Carly Soffer, Kent Services
Benjamin S. Thrush, HUB International Northeast
Dylan M. Weisman, The Moinian Group

AIR Society founding members:
Kathy A. Chazen, CLU, ChFC, National Financial Networks LLC
Michael A. Comras, The Comras Company
Bruce S. Dobozin, M.D., NYC DO
Keith Locker, Inlet Capital, LLC
Stacey Locker, Delete Blood Center DKMS
Jeffrey L. Rubin, HUB International Northeast Limited
Roger A. Silverstein, Silverstein Properties, Inc.

Honorary chairs:
Michael Lehrman, Cantor Commercial Real Estate (CCRE)
Richard J. Mack, Mack Real Estate Group
Jason D. Pizer
Peter G. Riguardi, Jones Lang LaSalle
Michael A. Rodriguez, Alliance Building Services LLC
Jonathon K. Yormak, East End Capital.

Sponsors:
Ambassador Construction Company
Angelo Gordon & Co.
Belvedere Capital
Benhar Office Interiors
Martin & Susan Berger, Alexander, Julia and Matt
Brookfield Properties
CBRE, Inc.
Cerberus Capital Management
Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
Cynthia & Ronald Katz
Design Republic Partners Architects, LLP
East End Capital
Mindy & David Falk
Fisher Brothers Foundation Inc.
Jeff & Melissa Fishman
Freedom News
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
GFP Real Estate
HAVAS
Hines
Industry City
Jack Resnick & Sons
Jamestown, L.P.
JKS Events Inc.
Kaback Enterprises, Inc.
Kathy Chazen & Larry Miller
KPMG LLP
Kushner Companies
Howard Lutnick
Leslie Berger Mendell and Jeffrey Mendell
Lisa & Mark Neporent
Marsh & McLennan Companies
Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc.
Murnick Property Group
Newmark Knight Frank
Normandy Real Estate Partners
Olympus MGA Corporation
RFR Holding LLC
Ben Shapiro and Andrew Sachs
Richard Spiro, LLC
Sage Realty Corporation
Silverstein Properties, Inc.
Square Mile Capital
Stawski Partners
Taconic Investment Partners, LLC
The Chazen Foundation
The Comras Company
The Durst Organization
The Gould & Shenfeld Families
Shanken Family Foundation
The Winter Organization
TPG Architecture Group
Tri-Star Construction
TZP Group LLC
Wilk Auslander LLP.

The New York AIR Society
The New York AIR Society is comprised of a diverse group of ambitious young professionals from a variety of industries in New York. Since its inception in 1991, more than $5 million has been raised to fund research, patient care, and clinical and educational programs at National Jewish Health, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation. The drive of these founding members came from the positive experience they or a family member had while being treated at National Jewish Health.