On Friday, March 10th, Simply From The Heart hosted its second annual event “A Heartfelt Evening” at the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse. Lite bites and cocktails were served to an invitation-only crowd at the home of Andrew and Kelly Sciame, of Sciame Homes on the intercoastal in West Palm Beach. The evening included sponsored liquor from Tequila 1349 and specialty wine from Virgina Philip, a luxury silent auction, a tour of the 2023 Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, and live entertainment from the Palm Beach Symphony.
The event was created to raise funds and support the non-profit whose mission is to encourage well-being, raise self-esteem, and improve the quality of life for critical and terminal care patients, through the delivery of therapeutic personal care services.
“Simply From The Heart has worked our magic on more than 7,000 patients nationally, enriching their lives through our pampering experience,” said Jackelyn Kastanis, Executive Director of Simply From The Heart. “Because face-to-face interaction is powerful, every pamper session begins with lowering the bed, so volunteers and patients are eye-to-eye. The power is not in the wand or brush, but in the unparalleled team at the forefront of our mission, the pamperers whose passion and special skills bring out a patient’s true identity, hidden by their illness”
“I am proud to partner with Simply From The Heart, to empower patients through pampering services when they’re going through their most difficult time,” said Andrew Sciame, of Sciame Homes and Title Sponsor for the event. “Embracing children who have already been through so much with much-needed love and support is critical.”
Sponsors: Sciame Homes, 2023 Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, Revitalash Cosmetics, First Republic Bank
Event Committee: Taylor Materio, Lara Pansolli, Sarah Hammond, Lindsey Burrough, Jessica Prince, Loren Klein, Danielle Goreski, Suzanne Pryblo, Stacy Thate, Collin Santini Adams
About Simply From The Heart: Simply From The Heart was founded by Jackelyn Kastanis after spending a year with her childhood best friend, Brooke Bolley, who was told at 27 she had a year to live. It was made clear to Jackelyn that a life-threatening illness affects every aspect of life. Patients endure relentless medical treatments, interventions, pain, and isolation, which often result in depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. SFTHeart believes that carefully selected and trained people, beyond medical providers, offer an important level of care that treats the mind, body, and spirit. This interaction is the primary focus of their services. They help to dispel the hardships of long-term illness.
Though Jackelyn was helpless to stop the illness that would take her friend’s life, she learned from the effects of a little lipstick, a fresh coat of nail polish, and good conversation. Despite the psychological distress she saw Brooke suffer, Jackelyn also saw her friend’s dignity move beyond her illness when she felt pampered and closer to pre-illness normalcy. Jackelyn founded Simply From The Heart to honor Brooke’s life to bring simple pleasures to others with terminal or life-threatening illnesses.
ABOUT KIPS BAY: Each year celebrated interior designers transform a luxury Manhattan home into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art, and technology. This event began in 1973 when several dedicated supporters of the Kips Bay Boys Girls Club launched the Decorator Show House to raise critical funds for much-needed after-school and enrichment programs for New York City children. Over the course of four decades, this project has grown into a must-see event for thousands of design enthusiasts and is renowned for sparking interior design trends throughout the world.
Photography Credit: Palm Studio
