The weatherman forecasted rain and the sun came out. Which was a good thing for the Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy’s 22nd annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon – known around these parts as the Conservancy luncheon. It’s held in the Conservatory Garden up behind the Vanderbilt Gates on 104th Street and Fifth Avenue.

New York’s-just-a-great-big-town Department: I hailed a cab to go to the lunch about 11:30 on Gracie Square and East End. The cabbie coming along tooted his horn and blinked his lights as if he knew me. It turned out he did. It was Mike, the guy who runs the garage in my building and who also drives a cab the two days a week he’s not in the garage. Coincidentally he’d just dropped a customer off at 82nd and East End. In a city of 17 million, I know the cab driver!

Marcia Mishaan, Alexia Hamm Ryan, and Cynthia Lufkin

The Conservancy luncheon is a big tradition now here in New York. More than 1100 women and men – mainly women – attend and this year they raised $2.2 million. The money the Conservancy raises pays 80% of the expenses of maintaining the Park. Mayor Bloomberg, who’s been a big benefactor of the Conservancy for many years, said today that the Conservancy has set such a good example that Prospect Park, the great park of Brooklyn, is going to have a fund-raising lunch too.

Some people call it the American Ascot because of the hats. A milliner’s dream come true – from very conservative to Far Out, and then back again. To me it’s more like the Easter Parade used to be – today it’s largely gone drag (although, ironically more fashionable than most of the ladies on that day). It’s a pastel day, fashion-wise and many of the most fashionable women in New York are present and brilliantly dressed for the occasion, often in the classic two-piece suit. Philanthropist Sharon Klingenstein told me she never wears skirts, feels more comfortable in pantsuits. But not today.

On arrival guests were greeted on the entry steps (down) by the reception line of the Benefit Committee – Jessie Araskog, Cynthia Lufkin, Eleanora Kennedy, Julia Koch, Marcia Mishaan and Alexia Hamm Ryan. Then there was the mingling hour where everyone sips their white wine or Perrier with lime and watches and air-kisses and looks and looks ... and looks while a quartet of young musicians (women in this case) serenade the crowd with 18th compositions for violin and bass.

It’s a sight and a pretty one, for a change. At 12:30, out come the trumpets, and slowly ... very slowly, every moves down the sidewalk bordered by blooming crabapples, their blossoms dappling the pavement, toward the other side of the tent.

Suzanne Cochran

This year’s chair, Karen LeFrak, who is also president of the Women’s Committee, called the luncheon to order, announcing the amount they’d raised this year and introduced the Conservancy’s VIPs – AJC Smith, the chairman, Adrian Benepe (pronounced ben-eh-pay), Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of New York, as well as previous commissioners, Gordon Davis and Henry Stern; Regina Peruggi, president of the Central Park Conservancy, and Stephen Schwarzman, President CEO and Co-Founder of the Blackstone Group, and the Luncheon Corporate Chair. This year’s Frederick Law Olmsted Awards went to Suzanne Cochran who served as president of the committee (Karen LeFrak’s job now) from 2000 to 2003, and Ruth Ann Marshall who is President of Americas at Mastercard International.

Then came lunch. Menu: Spring vegetable tart – which was like a little vegetable pizza to these eyes, then Lobster and Shrimp, Hearts of Palm, Avocado and Lime Sauce served in a “basket” of papaya with Parmesan Crisp, and dessert was Sweet Floral Bouquet, which to these eyes was a cupcake with sugar flowers on top surrounded by fresh berries. And that was it. Lunch over, still no rain, they nevertheless distributed green umbrellas courtesy of the Wathne sisters just in case.

One slip-up: My friend Heather Cohane put her purse and her digital camera in her goodie bag and hung it on the back of her chair. She then went over to say a few words to Blaine Trump and when she got back, the goodie bag and it’s contents were gone!! Her wallet, her credit cards, her driver’s license and her $700 camera!!! People like goodie-bags and often take an extra one when they think it’s been left behind – as it often is. Anyone out there seen Heather’s??? If so please please call 212-249-7872. She’ll be forever grateful if you do.

Email
A
Friend