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NYRP Spring Picnic
NYRP's annual Spring Picnic has quickly become a highly anticipated New York City tradition – celebrating the season with a salute to all things spring. So get out your gingham, roll up your sleeves and dig into a barbeque feast with all the fixins'. No one can combine a pig roast with a champagne toast like the divine Miss Bette Midler – making NYRP's Spring Picnic the fun and fab place to be and be seen every May under the stars at one of the gorgeous New York City green spaces that NYRP has helped restore.
Past picnics have been held in Fort Washington Park, NYRP's Swindler Cove Park, Fort Tryon Park and Tompkins Square Park – serving up great grub and an eclectic array of guests, including America Ferrera, Iman, Tony Bennett, Glenn Close, Katie Couric, Tim Gunn, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, John Lithgow and Sarah Jessica Parker – to name a few!
To help make sure that the winter blues are bid farewell, each year NYRP's own resident force of nature, Bette, leads everyone in a raucous sing-a-long to the delight of many and the dread of some. All in good fun as attendees enjoy cocktails, dinner, entertainment and dancing at one of New York City's most venerable vernal events!
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NYRP Hulaween
More than 1,000 star-studded guests brought their ghoulish glam to the green scene at Hulaween 2010, Bette Midler's annual gala benefit that raises important funds for New York Restoration Project (NYRP). This year's gala celebrated NYRP's 15th birthday, and what a party we had!
A highlight of this year's Hulaween, United States Senator John F. Kerry received Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" Award for his vigorous leadership and longtime role in the national climate change debate.
The starry line-up of costumed celebrities included Judy Gold (who served as the evening's master of ceremonies), musician Patty Smyth and tennis great John McEnroe, actor Gilles Marini and Tommy Mottola and his wife Thalia. Lending her golden touch, Judy Gold took to Bette's side for NYRP's annual live tree auction, which raised more than $460,000 to support NYRP's tree-planting efforts citywide.
Fashion designer Michael Kors, dressed as tree, leafed through the crowd during the evening's cocktail reception, searching for costume contest winners. The first prize was awarded to Todd DeGarmo and his STUDIOS architecture colleagues, who had sound costumes – literally. The group dressed in extravagant attire symbolizing The Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" lyrics.
Hulaween then softened its scream with the sweet sounds of Grammy-winning entertainer Paul Simon, as he took to the stage with his acoustic guitar. He dedicated "Loves Me Like a Rock" to Senator Kerry, and continued with a set of Simon and Garfunkle hits before closing out the evening with Midler joining him on stage to sing "The Boxer." The festivities continued for NYC's hippest and greenest at the Hulaween After-Party, hosted by The Buds – NYRP's Junior Committee, as DJ Jay McElfresh kept the night alive with scary good spins.
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