New
York's most chic and charitable women convened in Central Park's
Conservatory Garden on May 7 for the 26th annual Frederick Law Olmsted
Awards Luncheon (FLO) hosted by the Women's Committee
of the Central Park Conservancy. Affectionately nicknamed
the “Hat Luncheon,” more than 1,200 guests were in attendance.
Raising more than $2.4 million, FLO is the Central Park Conservancy's
largest benefit and perhaps the most enchanting event in New York!
This year's chairwomen were Memrie Lewis, Gillian
Miniter, Nancy Missett, and TaraRockefeller. Betsy
Messerschmitt is president of the Women's Committee. Nancy
Paduano and Margaret and Ian Smith were
honored for their outstanding commitment and contributions to preserving
the Park. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Martha Stewart, Morgan
Fairchild, Muffie Potter Aston, Cynthia Lufkin, Susan Fales-Hill,
Grace Hightower, and Deborah Roberts were
among the guests.
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 committee has stewarded the FLO
Awards Luncheon from a casual lunch gathering of a few hundred guests
to an ultrachic affair in Central Park's Conservatory Garden.
The Conservatory Garden is the ideal location for the celebration.
The six-acre oasis is Central Park's only formal garden and takes
its name from the huge glass conservatory that once stood there.
Guests enter from Fifth Avenue and 105th Street through the Vanderbilt
Gate, which originally stood before the Vanderbilt Mansion at Fifth
Avenue and 58th Street, the site of today's Bergdorf Goodman store.
The Garden is often an inspiration for the guests' glamorous
or whimsical hat creations.
The Central Park Conservancy's mission is to restore, manage,
and preserve Central Park, in partnership with the public, for the
enjoyment of present and future generations. The Central Park Conservancy
is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1980 that manages
Central Park under a contract with the New York City Department of
Parks & Recreation.
Margaret and Ian Smith, Nancy Paduano, Mayor Bloomberg.
Doug Blonsky, president Central Park Conservancy; Tom Kempner, Adrian Benepe.
Alexandra Lebenthal, Kim Hicks.
Grace Hightower.
Coralie Charriol Paul.
Adelina Wong Ettelson.
Jamee Gregory, Karen LeFrak.
Joanne de Guardiola, Amy Fine Collins.
Evelyn Lauder, Princess Firyal.
Blaine Trump, Cynthia Lufkin, Eric Javits, Gillian Miniter.
