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On November 18th, French Heritage
Society (FHS) honored Juan
Pablo Molyneux and Champagne
Taittinger, represented
by Pierre-Emmanuel
Taittinger,with a festive Gala Dinner Dance at The Pierre
Hotel. The Gala included an elegant dinner with music and
dancing to the sounds of The
Bob Hardwick Sound, and
raised over $340,000.
The event was held under the High Patronage of
His Excellency Gérard
Araud, Ambassador
of France to the U.S., His Excellency François
Delattre, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France
to the United Nations; The
Honorable Bertrand
Lortholary,Consul General of France in New York; and Bénédicte
de Montlaur, Cultural
Counselor of the French Embassy in the United States, and in the
presence of FHS
Chairman Elizabeth
F. Stribling and
FHS President Comte
Denis de Kergorlay, and
the Gala Chairman CeCe Black,
Jean Doyen de Montaillou, Kazie Metzger Harvey, Ursula Lowerre,
Liz McDermott, Deborah Royce, Jean Shafiroff and Ann
Van Ness. The
Comité d’honneur includes Princess
Isabelle De Broglie, Baron
Robert de Rothschild, Comte
and Comtesse François Saint-Bris, and many more notable
individuals.
A cocktail reception preceded the dinner where
Mrs. Stribling welcomed guests as the starters degustation were
served. In
light of the terrors in Paris this past week, the evening band
played the French national anthem while the entire room stood in
"solidarité and fraternité" with Paris.
FHS President Comte
Denis de Kergolay then spoke
about the fundamental relationship between America and France,
who are "brothers in arms" before introducing the first honoree Juan
Pablo Molyneux as
an "ambassador of beauty and art." Mr. Molyneux accepted his
award saying, "Without old buildings, I'd simply be a talker and
a dreamer" before toasting "my dear Mr. Taittinger." Mrs.
Stribling then returned to introduce Mr.
Taittinger who
accepted by commenting that he will be an "ambassador for
fidelity and friendship between the two countries and a faithful
son to these two ideas." He then toasted Mr. Molyneux before
gifting Mrs. Stribling with a book on Champagne. After a short
break, Mrs. Black introduced auctioneer Nicholas
Lowry who raised
funds towards the restoration of Monticello, and towards the
funding of the FHS Student Program.
Following the dinner the guests moved to the
dance floor, where The
Bob Hardwick Sound had
all the guests spinning and twirling around the dance floor.
Proceeds from the event support the important
work FHS does to raise and make grants to restore French
architectural gems in both countries, and to educate students,
young professionals and the general public about these historic
treasures through its cultural educational programs and
communications.
The
New York Chapter Co-Chairmen are Odile
de Schiétère-Longchampt and
Guy N. Robinson.
The
Benefit Committee includes Elizabeth
F. Stribling, Comte Denis de Kergorlay, Irene Aitken, Tina &
Simon Beriro, Baroness Véronique Bich, Baroness Laurie Bodor, J.
Brooks, Yann Coatanlem, Zita Davisson, Baron and Baronne de
Laroullière, Comtesse Elizabeth de Kergorlay, Barbara de Portago,
Christian Draz, John & Carole French, Michael Kovner, Margo
Morton Langenberg, Kamie & Richard Lightburn, Pilar Molyneux,
Anne & Charles Niemeth, Charles Royce, Stanley & Betty Deforest
Scott, and Donald
& Barbara Tober.
Additional guests included: Irene
Aitken, Janine Atamian, Christopher Attard, Nefissa Attard, Lee
Black, Liliana Cavendish, Fang Chu, Shannon Dishman, Elisa
Fredrickson, Mark
Gilbertson, Dr. Penny Grant, R.
Couri Hay ,Cherry Huang, Emilie Jackson, Cheri
Kaufman, Konrad
Keesee, Roy Kean, Diane Labouisse, Valerie Lettan, Kamie
Lightburn, Susan
Madden, Chris
and Grace Meigher, Kristi McCarthy, Mary
McFadden, Barbara
and Francis de Marneffe, Judy McLaren, Polly
Onet, Ann
Rapp Barbara
and Peter Regna, Alan
Salz, Martin Shafiroff, Thomas Shiah, Patricia Shiah, Sheri
Wechsler and Paul Vigue
The French
Heritage Society was founded in 1982 as a two way street for
Americans and French to share their love of historic
architecture. FHS has contributed to almost 500 restoration
grants and helped secure almost $18 million dollars for historic
monuments, buildings and gardens in every department in France
and to properties in the United States that reflect France’s
historic influence. In 2014, FHS awarded more than $530,000 in
restoration grants. French Heritage Society intervenes to ensure
that the treasures of our shared French architectural and
cultural heritage survive to inspire future generations to
build, dream and create. There are 12 Chapters of the Society
throughout the United States and one in Paris.
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