Hoboken Parties For A Good Cause

The large turn out for Thursday night's Benefit for Haiti goes to show that a snow storm can't stop people from partying with a purpose.

As a blizzard raged outside, more than 200 people attended the benefit which was organized by Hoboken-based non-profit Party with Purpose.

"It's amazing how many people came," said Scott Delea, organizer of the event and founder of Party with Purpose. "It's a real cross section of the community."

And the snow didn't prevent the women from dressing in heels and dresses and the men wearing suits either.

As people sipped cocktails, mingled and wrote down bids in a silent auction—which included, among many other items, a signed jersey by Eli Manning—they also got a chance to mingle with some celebrities.

Although the earthquake in Haiti happened on Jan. 12, to New York Giants player Dave Diehl, it still feels as if it was just yesterday. 

"People almost forget about it," he said. "The problem isn't gone, just because you don't hear about it."

Diehl heard about the benefit through his Public Relations firm, and said that he signed up immediately to attend and to help. He was the host of the evening, he said, and was happy to put his name behind a great cause. 

"I couldn't imagine being in their situation," he said about the earthquake's victims.

Tickets—which were purchased before the event by some, and at the door on Thursday night by others— were $100 each. All the proceeds went directly to UNICEF and Partners in Health, Delea said, because the entire event was donated. 

Although the event was scheduled to go from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., 9:45 rolled around without even starting the silent auction, a sign of the success of the night. 

Girls in suspenders and shorts walked around the room with platters of hors d'oeuvres, followed by trays of cupcakes from the Cake Boss (also donated). 

"Haiti is going to need money for a long time," said Executive Director of Hoboken Volunteers Tim Occhipinti, who stood at the bar. He was in the midst of organizing his own Haiti benefit.

Hoboken Volunteers organized a chili-cook off for Haiti at the Shannon on Saturday afternoon, for which tickets were $20.

Green Bay Packers player Ryan Grant, who lives in Edgewater, also attended the purposeful party on Thursday night, and said he chose to attend this party because of the good cause as well.

The fact that everybody came out in the bad weather, he said, "shows where people's hearts are."