Scleroderma Benefit Banks on Laughs

Of course Sharon Monsky knew she’d see the day when 400 people would gladly give time and money to support her foundation.

“I had a dream,” she said, “and it was that we could find a cure for the disease. And the truth is that we made incredible progress. Most people said, ‘Oh, you can only grow little by little.’ But the truth is, that wasn’t good enough.”

The disease is scleroderma, a degenerative, disfiguring and life-threatening illness that affects hundreds of thousands of people. It hardens and scars the skin and damages internal organs.

Monsky’s scleroderma was diagnosed several years ago, and a little over four years ago she founded Scleroderma Research Foundation, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization that raises money for research and public awareness.

Monsky, along with family, friends and supporters, was at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Sunday night for the foundation’s third fund-raising dinner held in the Los Angeles area. Billed as “Cool Comedy--Hot Cuisine,” it raised an estimated $100,000. (The event had outgrown its previous location at City Restaurant.)

The comedy was courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres, Susan Norfleet and a surprise appearance by Robin Williams; the cuisine was a five-course dinner courtesy of Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, chefs and owners of City Restaurant and the Border Grill (Feniger and Monsky are friends from way back).

The foundation also saluted John Candy, a longtime supporter. “I got involved four years ago at the request of two friends,” he explained. “And I’ve been with it ever since. It’s a question of meeting Sharon Monsky one time. She’s an incredible lady, and this is really her night tonight. Why me? I don’t know. It’s really for her.”

Another award was presented to Joseph Scher, a founding director of the foundation, chairman of its fund-raising committee and Monsky’s father-in-law.

“He’s been my mentor and my friend for so long,” she said. “He has done everything possible to help us make progress . . . and, unfortunately, when you’re part of the family, sometimes you don’t get thanked appropriately.”

The evening also included a video detailing Monsky’s life and the foundation’s work, offering an intimate glimpse of her and her family that had some in the audience wiping away tears.

A live auction of trips and memorabilia raised several thousand dollars and allowed emcee Mitchell Laurance and auctioneer Bob Costas to do some glib ad-libbing; a trip to London for two was suddenly augmented by Costas, who promised two tickets for the Wimbledon semifinals and finals. Two tickets for the NBA playoff game Wednesday between the Lakers and the Bulls went for $400 despite Costas’ admittance that “they’re nowhere near Jack Nicholson; they’re far, far away--but they are in the building.”

And an extra $5,000 was raised almost instantly when Robin Williams decided to donate some stage time--five minutes, which turned into about 15--and had the audience in hysterics.

Among the laughing were Ed Begley Jr. with Mary Kay Place, Melanie Mayron, Suzanne Pleshette and husband Tommy Gallagher, Brenda Vaccaro, Joel Grey, Lesley Ann Warren, Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin, Vincent Sciardelli and Feniger and Milliken, who cruised the party in their kitchen whites.