More than two years ago, Mayor Eric Adams’s brother Bernard uprooted his life as a Virginia parking administrator and came to New York City to work in his older brother’s nascent administration. But that job, as a deputy police commissioner, did not work out as planned.
Now, Bernard is leveraging his relationship with the mayor to launch a foray into philanthropy.
In partnership with Alisa Roever, a self-described jet-setter who was friends with Ivana Trump and celebrated Easter this year at Mar-a-Lago, Bernard Adams has founded an organization whose goal is to connect New York City’s youth to arts and culture, according to the website for the new group, Angels Helpers NYC.
The organization had been planning to host a black-tie gala at the restaurant Osteria La Baia, but then switched venues to 432 Park Avenue, a skyscraper on Manhattan’s so-called Billionaire’s Row. The gala was to feature the mayor and a former Miss World Ukraine, Anna Zaiachkivska, as “special guests,” according to an invitation for the event next Thursday. Tickets to the dinner cost between $500 and $1,000.
But on Thursday, Ms. Roever said the organization was postponing the gala, citing scheduling issues with some of the children who were supposed to perform.
Incorporated in March, the nonprofit’s mission is a noble and expansive one, according to its New York State registration papers: It is “committed to dealing with mental health issues, preventing cruelty to children, fostering support for abused women and children, and embarking on educational, literary, and scientific endeavors.”
“These initiatives aim not only to explore treatments for diseases and illnesses but also to provide assistance to the needy in and around New York City,” it goes on, adding that it aims to join forces with businesses and government agencies.
