Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club President’s Dinner

The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Annual President’s Dinner celebrated over 100 years of service for children at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 13, 2017 in Manhattan. The gala is a prelude to the Kips Bay Decorator Show House. The annual interior design showcase features the country’s premier interior decorators and architects in its largest fundraising event of the year.

The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club provide programs to 10,000 underserved youth ages 6-18 of the Bronx community. The enrichment programs provided in ten locations include two clubhouses, two school based sites, two community centers and two homeless shelters throughout the Bronx and a camp in upstate New York. The activities of all the sites address positive youth development with programs in character and leadership, the arts, sports and fitness, health and life skills, education and career development. Membership in the clubhouse is $1 per child for the entire school year. Numerous successful alumni in all fields have gone on to great futures after attending the nonprofit including superstar Jennifer Lopez.

The lovely evening began with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with the crème de la crème of the interior design world socializing and networking. A seated dinner commenced at seven over a starter salad of Crab Salad with Yellow Beets, Celery and Micro Greens. The main course was a Roasted Veal Chop with Butter and Sage served with Wild Mushroom a Risotto. Guest chose between Apple Millefeuille or Homemade Coffee, Chocolate and Shortbread Cookie Ice Cream in a Chocolate Waffle Shell. The dinner tables were dressed with spring floral arrangements and Kravet tablecloth designs of Kate Spade and Jeffrey Alan Marks.

The black tie affair was co-chaired by Architectural Digest Editor -in-Chief Amy Astley and celebrated designer Bunny Williams.

Designer Ken Fulk served as the Emcee of the gala. President, Board of Trustees James Druckman gave a warm welcome to the elegant crowd. Interior Designers and Annual President’s Dinner Vice-Chairs Jamie Drake, Susan Zises Green, Alexa Hampton, Mara Miller, Dinner Jesse Carrier, Christopher Spitzmiller and Pierre de Villemejane enjoyed the triumph of the evening. Elegant guests Martha Stewart, Alex Papachristidis, Bettina Zilkha, Campion Platt, Linda Fargo, Tham Kannalikham, Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper graced the dinner.

Morgan Stanley was honored for the corporation’s generous support of the next generation of leaders. Global Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director Mandell Crawley accepted the award on behalf of the financial services company and gave a moving speech of growing up in his local Boys & Girls Club chapter. John Saladino received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award. The distinguished architectural and interior designer accepted a Lalique Bacchantes Small Vase Intense Green Crystal from Bunny Williams. The evening program featured song and dance performances by members of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club to the popular song “Rise Up” and selections from the Broadway musical “A Bronx Tale.” Everyone especially Daniel Quintero, Executive Director of Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club was pleased to hear Councilwoman Annabel Palma and Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr.announce a total of $2 million in funding to go towards the aquatics center at the Club.

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House was founded in 1973 to raise funds for the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club to provide a safe place for New York City children to learn, play, grow and develop into successful happy and productive adults. The premier international design show event attracts over 20,000 industry and aficionados yearly. This year’s Show House is a four story neo-Georgian Lenox Hill townhouse designed by architect Charles A. Platt located at 125 East 65th Street. The former home of the China Institute, the estate boasts five bedrooms, a library, an exquisite spiral staircase and garden. Each room of the twentieth century landmark will be transformed into a showcase of design, art, fine furnishings and technology by twenty elite interior designers and architects. The 2017 Kips Bay Decorator Show House opens to the public, May 2nd through June 1st.

The 2017 Annual President’s Dinner raised over 1 million dollars to fund critical after school programs for the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx.