New York AIR Society Honors Jonathon Yormak of East End Capital

Benefit Raises Awareness and $360,000 for National Jewish Health, the Nation’s Leading Respiratory Hospital

More than 300 of New York’s young professionals attended the New York AIR Society "The Sky’s the Limit” Benefit at Ascent Lounge on Oct. 13 to raise $360,000 for National Jewish Health. Jonathon K. Yormak of East End Capital was honored with the hospital’s Irving Borenstein Memorial Award.

AIR Society Chair Emeritus Roger Silverstein (left) and Co-Chairs Jennifer and Kyle Widay (right) were among the leadership for The Sky’s The Limit Benefit for National Jewish Health honoring Jonathon Yormak (center).

“For 32 years, Irving was the guiding force of National Jewish Health in New York City, raising millions of dollars for patient care and research through the legendary Real Estate, Financial Industry and Retail Industry dinners,” said Kyle Widay, co-chair of the New York AIR Society. “Jonathon Yormak is well-deserving of the Irving Borenstein Memorial Award for his innovation in the real estate industry and his leadership in philanthropy.”

As the co-founder of East End Capital, Yormak oversees all of the firm’s activities, including its acquisition of more than $1 billion of office, residential and retail properties since 2011. The firm also controls more than 1 million square feet of development rights in the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami. For Ruben Companies and Broadway Partners, Jonathon acquired, repositioned and managed an office portfolio exceeding 15 million square feet located throughout the United States, as well as 1,000 residential units within New York City and Boston.

Sharing the title of AIR Society co-chair with Widay was his wife, Jennifer. Chairs emeriti and founding AIR Society members were Kathy Chazen and Roger Silverstein, who are also national trustees of National Jewish Health. Speaking at the event were Yormak, Silverstein, the Widays and Jennifer McCullough, director of education for the National Jewish Health Morgridge Academy, a free kindergarten through eighth grade school for chronically ill children.

“The faculty and staff at National Jewish Health are working together every day to improve the lives of children and adults through advanced treatments and cures for respiratory, cardiac, immune and related conditions,” said McCullough.

McCullough also talked about the Mount Sinai – National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute, which recently celebrated its first year of treating patients by officially opening a new, state-of-the-art practice in Manhattan.

“Now, the unique and collaborative model of care practiced at National Jewish Health can be experienced in New York,” McCullough said. “In collaboration with Mount Sinai, the Mount Sinai – National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute was established in 2015. The Respiratory Institute has already seen thousands of patients and is growing every day.”

Silverstein spoke of his personal experience at the Denver hospital.

“A group of us came together because some of us and our family members had been treated for asthma, allergies and immune diseases at National Jewish Health,” Silverstein said. “The AIR Society for Asthma, Immunology and Respiratory was formed in New York in 1991 to increase awareness among young professionals about National Jewish Health, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation.”

In its 25 years, the New York AIR Society has raised more than $4 million to fund research, patient care, and clinical and educational programs at National Jewish Health. A group of young professionals in Denver brought the AIR Society’s model of participation to Denver earlier this year, founding the 5280 AIR Society.

The Sky’s the Limit featured music by DJ Yacine at Ascent Lounge New York, the latest nightlife venue conceptualized by Brian and Carrie Packin and designed by Jeffrey Beers.

Major sponsors of the event included VIP Event Sponsor NGV Painting; and VIP Platinum Sponsors Kathy Chazen and Larry Miller, East End Capital, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP, GreenOak Real Estate Advisors LP, Jones Lang LaSalle, Kensington Vanguard National Land Services, Ruben Companies, Stephen Epstein and Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, and Stacey and Roger Silverstein.