Please join us on November 6 for
Step Up to the Plate, an evening of elegant dinner parties hosted in local homes to benefit The Second Step. You'll spend quality time with fabulous speakers and hosts while also raising funds and awareness for survivors of domestic violence.
To order tickets, please contact Barbara Levitov, Special Events Manager, at 617-965-2026 or
blevitov@thesecondstep.org .
Coming soon to this page: an online order form for ticket purchase and dinner party selections.
Please revisit this page after September 10 to order online.
Special Note: This year, in response to the ongoing recession and the end of the government grant that established The Second Step's Community Program,
we are committing all net proceeds from sponsorships of Step Up to the Plate exclusively to the I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Mentoring Program, the Women's Nurturing Group, and the Children's Mentoring Program. Your support helps survivors create meaningful social connections which, in turn, help protect them from future abuse.
2010 Dinner Party Selections:
Journalism in Transition
Hosts: Ethan and Lisa Lerner, Chestnut Hill
Martha Bebinger is a reporter at Boston's WBUR public radio station, an affiliate of National Public Radio (NPR). Her work focuses on the politics of health care spending. She was a Neiman Fellow at Harvard University. Martha will speak on "Shaping the New World of Journalism: Your Role and Mine" and look at the pros and cons of some new models.
The 2010 Election
Hosts: Roberta and Myron Rosenberg, Newton
Jeffrey Berry, Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. He teaches courses on both national and urban politics. He is also an expert commentator on radio, TV, and in the newspapers when there is breaking news about politics. With our dinner just a few days after the November election, Professor Berry will offer his analysis of the Massachusetts race for Governor as well as the national congressional outcomes.
Changing Identity
Hosts: Sibel Bessim and Irwin Barnes, Waban
Deborah Bershel is a transgendered family physician. Her struggles in coping with her gender issues and the repercussions for her practice and family have been featured in
The Boston Globe Magazine in 2007 and again in 2010. She is very open about her transition from male to female, and the evening is guaranteed to be thought-provoking.
The Reel Deal
Hosts: Roberta and Paul Carson, Chestnut Hill
Back by popular demand,
Ty Burr is a film critic for
The Boston Globe and member of the National Society of Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics. Ty has written articles for The New York Times, among other publications. Ty keeps both families and film enthusiasts informed with his book,
The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together. He estimates he has seen over 10,680 films.
Recipe for Success
Hosts: Anne Marie and Bill Teuber, West Newton
For almost three decades, dynamic
Mary-Catherine Deibel, along with her business partner
Deborah Hughes, has provided a unique dining experience for Bostonians. UpStairs on the Square restaurant in Cambridge received a 2008 Best of Boston Award from
Boston Magazine. Hear what it takes to sustain a successful restaurant in a highly competitive field.
Good Cookin'
Host: Ruth Isaacs, Chestnut Hill
Keith Dresser is the senior editor of Cook's Illustrated, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to perfected recipes, kitchen tips, and equipment reviews. Its articles are blue chip investments when it comes to home economics. Hear Keith share his experiences in the ever-popular PBS series "America's Test Kitchen."
Mike & Kitty
Hosts: Brenda and Harvey Freishtat, Brookline; Kosher
Michael Dukakis, attending with his wife
Kitty Dukakis, served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975-1979 and from 1983-1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He has been a distinguished professor of political science at Northeastern University since 1991 and visiting professor of public policty at the UCLA School of Public Affairs
Sax Appeal
Hosts: Alexandra and Jody Simes, Newton
Deric Dyer is a world-renowned jazz saxophonist and acclaimed recording artist. In addition to collaborating with big names such as Joe Cocker, Tina Turner, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Deric performs across New England and on national television. He recently released a compliation CD featuring both old and new tracks. Come hear his story.
Making a Difference
Hosts: Merle and Steven Winer, Newton
Ron Kahn is past President and Director of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Author of over 170 publications, Dr. Kahn is internationally recognized as both a researcher and a leader within his field. He has over 60 awards and honors to his credit and teaches at Harvard Medical School. Through his initiative we can hope to learn more about certain diseases and illnesses in order to prevent them in the future.
A Whale of a Problem
Hosts: Robin and Philippe Amouyal, Waban
Dr. Iain Kerr is the CEO of Ocean Alliance, an organization founded in 1971 dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the ocean through research and public education. Ocean Alliance will be opening a new oceanographic research and education center in Gloucester. Iain has run expeditions in 22 countries researching and studying whales and ocean pollution, most recently in the Gulf of Mexico aboard the
Odyssey. Hear tales from his trips to places such as Papua New Guinea and the Gulf as well as his take on the dangers posed by the BP oil spill.
Locally Grown
Hosts: Jane Price and David Schwartz, Newton
Michael Leviton is the executive chef and owner of Lumiere, an upscale French bistro in West Newton. He has been recognized by many prestigious magazines. He serves on the Board of Overseers of the Chef's Collaborative, a national organization dedicated to celebrating local foods and fostering a more sustainable food supply. Michael will discuss how his menus are inspired by local, sustainable ingredients.
Double Play
Hosts: Loren and John Kovalcik, Westwood
Bill Littlefield, host of WBUR's "Only a Game," will be joined by his frequent guest
Charlie Pierce. Together they sport a clever combination of expert analysis and sharp wit, keeping their listeners informed and entertained. They have interviewed many sports stars including Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Two-Fer
Hosts: Rosa Hallowell and Mark Stein, Concord
Join
Eileen McNamara, Pultizer Prize winning columnist and journalism professor at Brandeis University, and husband
Peter May, NBA and Celtics sportswriter. Both were longtime staff writers at
The Boston Globe. Peter now writes regularly for ESPN.com and Eileen is a columnist at
Boston Magazine. Join them as they regale us with their behind-the-scenes stories.
Healing Cells
Hosts: Harriet and Mel Warshaw, Wellesley Hills; Kosher
Doug Melton is the co-director of Harvard's Stem Cell Institute. In 2007 and 2009, Doug was listed among
Time Magazine's 100 Most INfluential People in the World. Through his partnerships, Doug has developed a number of new stem cell lines and is exploring their use for regenerative medicine. Hear about a future with renewable bodies and new treatments for the diseases associated with our aging population.
Rock 'n' Roll from A to Z
Hosts: Bonnie and Ken Kornman, Newton
Born and bred in Boston,
Steve Morse saw the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin as a youth, then started at the
Globe in 1975 and continues to freelance for them today. He has written about many of the great musical moments that shaped several generations. He has shared bourbon with Keith Richard and been close enough to feel the sweat fall from Bruce Springsteen's forehead. He loves talking about music and had a radio show for two years on WBOS-FM.
Getting Down to Business
Hosts: Stuart Sadick, James Bryant, and Eileen Morrison, Newton
Paul Solman has been the Business and Economics Correspondent for
The PBS NewsHour for 25 yeras. A Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and an 8-time Emmy and 2-time Peabody award winner, Paul is a distinguished educator at Yale. Paul is eager to field your questions on business and the economy.
Moral Medicine
Hosts: Aubrey and Roleen Katz, Newton; Kosher
David Steinberg is Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Medical Ethics at Lahey Clinic Medical Center. He is the editor of
Biomedical Ethics: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Moral Issues in Medicine and Biology, an anthology of articles relating to the most pertinent ethical issues confronting health care and the biological sciences today. Hear more about these heated controversial topics.
Murder, He Wrote
Hosts: Arlene and Larry Rand, Waban
Scott Turow, an author and lawyer, captivates his readers with thrilling novels. His books have been translated into more than 25 languages, selling more than 25 million copies. Scott will discuss
Innocent, published in May 2010 and described by Stephen King as a "literary treasure." Also, hear about Scott's experience turning a novel into a film, as he did with the movie
Presumed Innocent.
For more information about Step Up to the Plate 2010 or to order tickets, please contact Barbara Levitov, Special Events Manager, at
blevitov@thesecondstep.org.
We hope to see you on November 6!