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The
28th Annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon,
hosted by the Women’s Committee of
The Central Park Conservancy was held in the
six-acre Conservatory Garden, the Park’s only formal
garden.
It was a smashing success, raising nearly $2.5
million dollars to support the Conservancy’s work in
maintaining and preserving
Central Park. Guests filled 120 tables, including
corporate tables sponsored by Chanel, Dior, Graff,
Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters.
Co-Chairs Noreen Buckfire, Anne Harrison,
Marcia Mishaan and Sarah Robertson
greeted over 1,200 supporters.
Most of them wore glamorous hats, which is why the
event has been nicknamed the “Hat Luncheon.
” Looking from above, it was a sea of color.
Women’s Committee President Gillian Miniter
opened the Awards program, welcoming guests and
acknowledging
Norma Dana and Jean Clark, two of the
four Women’s Committee founders; Tom Kempner,
current
Chairman of the Board of Trustees; the Conservancy’s
founder Betsy Barlow Rogers; and Douglas
Blonsky,
President of the Central Park Conservancy and
Central Park Administrator, who is celebrating his
25th year with the Conservancy.
Honorees of this year’s event included Corporate
Chairman Tom Glocer, Thomson Reuters CEO, who
has raised vital funds for the Conservancy. The
Frederick Law Olmsted Award, given to individuals
whose remarkable leadership contribute to the Park’s
lasting health, was presented to Betsy
Messerschmitt, past president of the Women’s
Committee. The Award was also presented to Patsy
and Jeff Tarr, longtime supporters of Women’s
Committee initiatives. The Tarrs recently funded the
renovation of the Park’s West 100th Street
Playground, renamed the Tarr Family Playground.
The Women’s Committee thanked Evelyn Lauder,
Richard Mishaan and Thorunn Wathne for
their in-kind contributions.
Also Abigail Kirsch Catering and
Andrew Pascoe Flowers.
Leading the applause were Sigourney Weaver,
Martha Stewart, Michelle Paige Paterson,
Silda Wall Spitzer,
Hilary Geary Ross, Deputy Mayor Patti Harris,
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Karen LeFrak,
Fe Fendi,
Allison Rockefeller, Tara Rockefeller, Blaine Trump,
Susan Rudin, Fiona and Eric Rudin, Suzanne
Johnson,
Alexandra Lebenthal, Susan Fales-Hill, Amy Fine
Collins, Eric Javits, Michelle Smith, Wendy Carduner,
Eleanora Kennedy, Sheila Labrecque, Gail Hilson,
Jessie Araskog, Kamie Lightburn, Lally Weymouth,
Marlene Hess and Muffy Miller.
About the Central Park Conservancy:
The Women's Committee is an association dedicated to
fundraising for Central Park and enhancing the
Conservancy's programs in education, conservation
and horticulture.
The Central Park Conservancy is a private,
not-for-profit organization founded in 1980 as a
public-private partnership
with the City of New York. Thanks to the generosity
of many individuals, corporations, foundations, and
the City, the
Conservancy has invested more for than $530 million to date into the Park,
transforming it into a model for urban parks
worldwide.
The Conservancy provides 85% of Central Park’s
annual $25 million operating budget and is
responsible for the maintenance
and management of the Park.
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