Julianne Moore, Martha Stewart, Andy Cohen and More Help Hudson River Park Raise Funds in Virtual Gala
Hudson River Park held its first virtual “UnGala” last night and raised over $1 million to support the Park’s operations, horticulture maintenance and public programming, including its 550+ year-round educational, environmental, sustainability and cultural programs.
Hosted by Jenna Bush Hager, the evening highlighted appearances by Julianne Moore, Andy Cohen, Lea DeLaria, Diana Taylor, David Chang, Charlotte Groeneveld-Van Haren, Mike Novogratz and New York’s Lieutenant Governor, Hon. Kathy Hochul paid tribute to Hudson River Park and to the essential operations and maintenance workers who have been keeping the Park safe, clean and beautiful each and every day in the face of a global pandemic. The evening concluded with a moving performance by David Broza, who sang an acoustic version of “East Jerusalem/ West Jerusalem.”
“This year’s UnGala is especially important to Hudson River Park and to Friends as an organization. When the pandemic shut everything down in mid-March, we were forced to cancel all of our fundraising events for spring and summer, and had to make a decision about our in-person fall Gala shortly thereafter,” said Connie Fishman, Executive Director Hudson River Park. “We reduced our budget for 2020 by nearly two-thirds as a result. That means less money for Park programs, horticulture and maintenance at a time when New Yorkers need Hudson River Park more than ever for their mental and physical health and that critical connection to nature that all humans need. We’re so grateful to our donors and community supporters for helping us through this critical time.”
