So much was lost after Hurricane Sandy slammed New York City and devastated the Rockaways and Staten Island, but on the evening of November 17, the lights shined bright at the Top of the Standard as Opening Ceremony and MoMA PS1 art director Klaus Beisenbach teamed up for one night to raise money for its victims.
“When something happens to our city, we always try to do something about it,” Humberto Leon, the owner of OC, said. Leon himself designed “Surviving Sandy” charity tees to benefit the Ali Forney Center, a shelter for displaced LGBT youth. Bearing the image of a heart in the shape of the tri-state area, the tees were on sale throughout the night. “The design is really simple,” he said. “It’s about how much we love New York and how much this hurricane really affected our city.”
Friends like Olivia Kim, Phillip Lim and Patrik Ervell were in the crowd as DJ Jamali Ali spun electronic dance music and cocktails (sponsored by Belvedere vodka) were served. All the proceeds from ticket sales at the door went toward the Rockaway Relief‘s efforts to provide supplies and clean up the homes of those affected.