Over 350 people came out to support the Orange County Land Trust at their Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction, held recently on the grounds of Glenmere in the Town of Chester. The annual dinner is the nonprofit’s largest yearly fundraiser and this year the Land Trust raised over $100,000 for the protection of the county’s natural areas and working farmland.
The theme for the 2009 annual dinner was Celebrating the Preservation of Orange County’s Natural and Historic Treasures. Three groups were honored for their outstanding contribution to land preservation. Carol Ash, New York State Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation was honored for her vital role in the preservation of Sterling Forest. Paul Dolan, Executive Director of ABC News International and JoAnn Dolan, former executive director of New York-New Jersey Trail Conference were honored for their pioneering and continuing efforts in the protection of Sterling Forest and Arrow Park. The Orange County Land Trust was also pleased to honor this year Orange County’s elected leaders and dedicated professionals in county government who have worked diligently together to preserve the county’s working farms and natural areas under the Open Space Plan. The Office of the County Executive, Orange County Legislature, Orange County Department of Planning and Office of the County Attorney were all honored for their contribution to land preservation.
“Judging from the outpouring of support we have received from people attending this year’s dinner, it is clear that land preservation in this county remains an important concern for so many,” said Deanna Prisco, president of the Orange County Land Trust. “We wish to thank all of our supporters for this most successful event- our benefit committee chaired by James Ottaway, Jr., our business and community sponsors, our honorees for their hard work and dedication, and the many people who purchased tickets to this event and supplied donated items for our silent auction, and of course our many volunteers.”
“We are also extremely grateful to Dr. Daniel DeSimone and Alan Stenberg of Glenmere for offering the grounds of their beautiful estate for our annual dinner,” added Mrs. Prisco.
Glenmere, which overlooks Glenmere Lake, has undergone extensive renovations and will reopen in the fall of this year as a luxury 19-suite hotel, restaurant and spa. Built between 1911 and 1913 as a country manor for American industrialist and real estate scion Robert Goelet, the 35-room mansion was designed by Carrere and Hastings, designers of the New York Public Library and the U. S. House and Senate office buildings. It is modeled after a Tuscan villa with a center courtyard, marble columns and mantels, hand plastered moldings, hand painted murals and on the grounds, statuary and a classically inspired sunken Italian garden. This garden, designed by Beatrix Farrand, America’s first female landscape artist, has garden clubs throughout the country in awe because of its historic significance. Plans are underway to restore this garden using the artist’s original design plan.
Corporate and community sponsors for this year’s Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction were Gusciora Construction, Glenmere, DeGraw & DeHaan, Architects, LLP, The Walt Disney Company, Blue Spruce Construction Corp., First Federal Savings of Middletown, J.M. Electric & Son, Bank of America, C.R. Wolfe Heating Corp., Earth & Sun Energy Systems, Inc., Esposito & Associates, Faith Ferguson Productions, Inc., Golden Family Foundation, Ira Wickes/Arborists, Morgan Wheelock, Inc. Landscape Architects, N.A.S. Security Systems, Rider, Weiner & Frankel, PC, Arrow Park, Inc., DJM Enterprises, Dayne Losee, Inc., Gerard Associates, Jacobwitz & Gubits, LLP, New York Football Giants, Inc., Pietrzak & Pfau Engineering & Surveying, PLLC, Precision Roofing, R.J. Smith Realty, S.E.T. Designs, Inc., Sotheby’s, Turner Miller Group, and Voss Excavating.
The Orange County Land Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the fields, forests, wetlands, ridgelines and river corridors in and around Orange County through voluntary land conservation for the benefit of people. To date, the Land Trust has protected over 3,600 acres of biologically sensitive and scenic lands as well as working farmland. For more information, and for volunteer opportunities and ways of donating to the Land Trust, please visit the website at www.oclt.org.
