Arthur Sulzberger, Glenn Hoagland, Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal.
When you think of New York, you can’t help but imagine the Manhattan skyline and its busy city streets. But New York is much more than skyscrapers and urban settings.
Last Friday, the acclaimed actor and longtime advocate for the city and state he loves, Robert De Niro hosted Mohonk Preserve 50th Anniversary Gala at Three Sixty – Tribeca. It was the first New York City Benefit Gala for the state’s largest non-profit preserve.
Proceeds from the Inaugural Gala will support the Conservation for the Next Century – Campaign for the Mohonk Preserve and its initiatives: restoration of carriage roads, acquisition of the Mohonk Preserve Foothills, and designs for a new interactive visitors’ exhibit and multi-media orientation theater.
De Niro served as the honorary chairman of the event, but was far from the only renowned face. Among the more than 200 guests, were such luminaries as producer, Jane Rosenthal, New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., Mary Wittenberg (President of the NYRR), interior designer, Brian McCarthy, Scott Stewart of the Corcoran Group, Bruce Littlefield (author, design specialist and lifestyle expert), Mike Keegan (CEO, M&T Bank), Noah and Maria Gottdiener (CEO and Chairman of Duff & Phelps), the preserve’s Executive Director, Glenn Hoagland, former President of the Paine Webber Group, Paul B. Guenther, DOWNTOWN’s CEO, Grace A. Capobianco, in Zac Posen, and New York publicity luminary, R Couri Hay.
The program followed a cocktail reception and comments from De Niro and others.
Robert DeNiro making his impassioned comments about the Mohonk Preserve.
“Mohonk Preserve is a shining example of the good that came come from smart sensitive care of our natural resources,” said De Niro. “Not long ago, that seemed like a good choice, now it’s a matter of life and death. We call all agree on that. This should be the first commandment—‘Don’t fuck with Nature.’”
Maybe we all should follow the advice of another famous New Yorker’s advice and “Take a Walk On The Wild Side.” But for that to happen, the first step is to take advantage of and support preserves like the Mohonk Preserve which already receives more than 150.000 each year—making it the most popular in the state.
-Xavi Ocaña
Maria and Noah Gottdiener (CEO and Chairman of Duff & Phelps).
Mohonk’s Executive Director, Glenn Hoagland and wife, Melissa Greig.
Hadrien Coumans (Co-founder of the Lenape Center) and Curtis Zunigha.
