Recruited donors included Malcolm Forbes, Cyndi Lauper, Clive Davis, Ben & Jerry, Thomas Mosser, New York Times President Lance Primis, and then White House Chief of Staff, John H. Sununu.
[9] The program gathered these 12-year-old girls who suffered from Bulimia and depression, incest or suicide attempts, and brought them together in small meetings with guest speakers who were adult children of alcoholic parents.
Named after the famed Art Kane photograph, A Great Day in Harlem, Oxenhorn's Great Night in Harlem Concert at the Apollo Theater has been a hugely successful annual fundraising event, which would not have been possible without Lauren Roberts, a co-worker and Jarrett Lilien, the former E*TRADE president, who offered to bankroll the cost of the Apollo Theater and has since become the organization's President.
The concert also helped attract prominent board members, including Quincy Jones, their current chairman; Richard Parsons, Agnes Varis, Elvis Costello, Danny Glover, Michael Novogratz and Lou Reed.
This program makes it possible for hundreds of elderly musicians to introduce jazz, blues and live music for the first time, to over 80,000 public school children a year.
Oxenhorn also acquired over a quarter million dollars worth of donated new top shelf instruments to replace what was lost in the flood for hundreds of NOLA's most beloved musicians.
"[13] Hentoff also writes: "Wendy Oxenhorn, the foundation's executive director—is the most determined, resilient, and selfless person I have ever known—she has emphasized to me "It's a privilege to be of service to people who spent a lifetime making our world so beautiful with their music and giving us all they had.
"[14] Time Warner Inc. Chairman Richard D. Parsons said in an interview that Oxenhorn's ability to help artists quickly was a big factor in his decision to donate both his own money and corporate funds.
"I’m surprised that she hasn’t been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and lauded in some public way – not to single out any one person, but she deserves to be on that sort of platform," Imperioli told ABC News.
Presented by Richard Parsons, CEO Time Warner, along with Prince, Roberta Flack, Mary J. Blige, Danny Glover, Russell Simmons and many other notables.
Jazz at Lincoln Center recently bestowed the 2nd Annual Ashley Schiff Ramos Community Development Award to Wendy Oxenhorn.
Honorees this evening included: National Urban League President & CEO Marc H. Morial, the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, U.S. congressman and the Rev.