John Z. Kukral, President and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, was the evening’s honoree as he received the National Jewish Medical and Research Center 2004 Humanitarian Award on December 11, during the Real Estate and Construction Industries’ Winter’s Eve Gala at the Grand Hyatt New York. Owen D. Thomas of Morgan Stanley presented the award to Mr. Kukral. Also during the event, Michael E. Pralle, President and CEO of GE Real Estate and last year’s Humanitarian Award honoree, was inducted into the Council of National Trustees.

The event, which raised a record $2,563,900, established the Dr. Albert J. Kukral Memorial Fund for Respiratory Infections at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, ranked the nation’s number one respiratory hospital for the seventh consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.
Le Clique provided the evening’s hot Latin entertainment to go with the South Beach theme. Trustee Wendy Siegel’s exceptional leadership again produced an energetic, fun, must-attend event for the movers and shakers in the real estate industry.

The dinner leadership reflected the broad support that National Jewish has enjoyed for decades from the real estate community. Thomas M. Flexner, with Bear, Stearns and Co., Inc., served as dinner chairman, assisted by James D. Kuhn, Newmark & Company Real Estate, Inc.; Bruce E. Mosler, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.; Peter G. Riguardi, Jones Lang LaSalle; and Stephen B. Siegel,