Randall's Island Park Alliance Fielding Dreams Gala 2018
RIPA honors award winning landscape architect Rick Parisi, U.S. Women's Soccer champion Abby Wambach, and NYCFC Coach Patrick Vieira
NEW YORK, March 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, March 14, the Randall's Island Park Alliance (RIPA) hosted its 2018 Fielding Dreams Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City with 650 guests in attendance. The event, co-chaired by Lucy Fato, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AIG, and Justin G. Hamill, Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, raised over $1.2 million dollars. Honorees included award winning landscape architect Rick Parisi, Olympic gold medalist and Women's World Cup champion Abby Wambach, and New York City Football Club (NYCFC) Head Coach and international soccer star Patrick Vieira.
The evening began with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a speaking program, emceed by Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC's chief international correspondent and co-anchor of "Power Lunch." Awards to the honorees were presented by Hunter Roberts Construction Group's Senior Vice President David Kane, former president of the US Soccer Federation Sunil Gulati and NYCFC Sporting Director and American soccer icon Claudio Reyna. Each speaker reflected on Randall's Island Park's crucial role in providing New York City's children with a safe and well-maintained place to play sports and pursue their athletic dreams.
"It has truly been an honor working with the NYC Parks Department and entire Randall's Island Park Alliance staff, over the course of twenty years, to redesign Randall's Island Park for the use and benefit of all New Yorkers," said Fielding Dreams honoree Mr. Parisi.
In accepting her Champion for Children Award, Ms. Wambach commented on her own experience as a child, growing up playing soccer in Rochester, New York. "Being able to play outside, in public parks, shaped my adolescent experience and allowed me to blossom as an athlete during my childhood."
Patrick Vieira, honored with the Community Champion Award, reflected on his journey from playing soccer in small fields in Africa to standing in front of a large crowd in New York. "It is truly humbling to receive this award. I know firsthand from my childhood in Senegal that having access to playable ball fields allows adults and children to play sports and bond together as a community."
Aimee Boden, President of Randall's Island Park Alliance commented, "Thanks to the generous support of our trustees, business and community partners at events like our annual gala, we have been able to restore 330 acres of parkland, including critically needed playing fields and world-class athletic facilities, for the use and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, especially our youth. Randall's Island truly is where New York goes to play."
About the Randall's Island Park Alliance:
The Randall's Island Park Alliance (RIPA), founded in 1992, is a public-private partnership with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation that seeks to realize the unique potential of 330 waterfront parkland acres anchoring Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. RIPA works with the City and local communities to provide an innovative and exciting destination through a wide range of sports venues, cultural events and environmental exploration. As the dedicated steward of Randall's Island Park, the Alliance sustains, maintains, develops and programs the Park to support the wellbeing of all New Yorkers. The Park offers miles of waterfront pathways, almost nine acres of wetlands, an urban farm, a track and field stadium, a golf center, a 20-court tennis center and over 60 new playing fields, as well as the Harlem River Event Site. For more information, please visit http://www.randallsisland.org/.
Media Contacts for RIPA:
Jennifer Wainwright
Randall's Island Park Alliance
212-830-7722
Melissa Sheer
Kent Place Communications
917-690-2199
[email protected]
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SOURCE Randall’s Island Park Alliance
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