Cancer  
 November 12, 2014

Oscar De La Renta and New Yorkers For Children

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Oscar De La Renta with the children.

One of the biggest icons in the history of fashion passed away on October 20, 2014 after a long eight year battle with cancer. Oscar de la Renta began his career as a designer in 1963 when he worked for Elizabeth Arden before launching his own label in 1965. He was a success incredibly fast, as he received the COTY (fashion equivalent to the Oscars) Award in 1967 and 1968, won the American Fashion Critic’s Award twice, and on two separate occasions was the President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In the early 90’s, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award and later received the Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the Year Award. These are just a few of the accomplishments in the professional life of this great man; however, what truly set him apart from others was his heart for less fortunate youth in New York City.

De la Renta was the director of the New Yorkers For Children organization. This foundation was founded in 1996 by former Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services, Nicholas Scopetta. The NYFC aims to improve the lives of children on welfare by supporting and creating paths for them to follow for a secure adulthood. De la Renta used his powerful name, friends and reputation in the fashion world to raise funds and grow the overall capacity of the NYFC for the child welfare system.The funding has allowed this group to develop programs to help adolescents and young children. It has created college scholarships, tutoring programs, job training and networking opportunities. De la Renta helped to create the Annual Fall Gala for the NYFC, which has become one of the marque New York City Celebrity events. This elite party now annually raises over 1.2 million dollars for the NYFC.

The money has provided countless young adults college scholarships, grants, and job opportunities. De la Renta is an example of a person at the absolute top in the professional and social world who put his power and influence for a meaningful cause. Just like De la Renta, investing in what you believe in is one of the main ideas and messages behind Lyfebulb. We strive to strengthen our community by taking care of one another. Through our stories, the hope is to create examples and inspirations for other people suffering from illness and disease. Our goal is to show people who may not be as fortunate in health a place where they can turn to for advice, help, and guidance. Similar to De la Renta, Lyfebulb is creating a strong, safe, healthy community.