40-Year Anniversary Gala Honors the Durst Family
New York - 09/18/2013
The Trust for Public Land, the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to conserve land for people, was rapidly approaching the $1 million raised mark on Tuesday night by the close of its inaugural gala, which honored the Durst family. Actor Sam Waterston hosted the festivities at 583 Park Avenue.
The Durst family was honored for their continuing efforts to create public spaces and sustainable buildings for people across the country. Douglas Durst has served on The Trust for Public Land's National Board of Directors for six years. His son, Alexander Durst, recently joined the organization's New York Advisory Board.
The Durst family received the Land for People award, the highest honor from The Trust for Public Land.
"Douglas Durst and his family have been leaders in helping create places for families to enjoy outdoors," said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land. "This is a family that cares deeply about both the built and the unbuilt environment and gets and supports what The Trust for Public Land does to bring nature into our cities and to protect the wild places we all care about."
Gala Committee Members included: Page and Jay Cowles, Caroline Niemczyk, and Sheryl and Dan Tishman as Co-Chairs, and Elizabeth Atwood, Elena and Michael Patterson, and Liz and Emanuel Stern.
An abbreviated list of gala sponsors includes: The Durst Organization, MetLife Foundation, Citi, Nielsen, Tishman Speyer, Bank of America, Bloomberg, PlayCore, Prudential, Tusk Strategies, and Estee Lauder Companies. Oregon's Knudsen Vineyards and Argyle Winery are wine sponsors for the evening.
Founded in 1972, and operating from more than 40 offices nationwide, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness-including 130,000-acres in New York State-and helped generate more than 34 billion in public funds for conservation. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year.
In New York City, the organization has transformed hundreds of schoolyards from barren asphalt lots into engaging and vibrant playgrounds, saved 70 community gardens from development, and led to the creation of numerous city parks and new open space in every borough. An emphasis on land and water conservation and storm water management is at the core of every project city-wide. In New York City, The Trust for Public Land is literally laying the groundwork for a greater, greener, and more resilient City.
For complete gala details, sponsors and supporters, and committee listing, visit: http://tplgalany.com/.
| Clockwise: The Trust for Public Land President Will Rogers with Douglas Durst, gala honoree; April Hawkins (MetLife Foundation), Mary Alice Lee and Marc Matsil of The Trust for Public Land, Dennis White (MetLife Foundation) and P.S. 164 student Melissa Vitrago; Douglas Durst, gala honoree, speaks with actor Sam Waterston, host of festivities. |
