c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Virtual Program: 2020 Alliance Gala

October 29, 2020

On October 29, 2020, Prospect Park Alliance hosted it’s annual Gala, virtually! This celebration featured Alliance Board Chair Iris Weinshall, Jimmy Kimmel, Angélique Kidjo, and a musical performance from Alegba and Friends. The program recognized the volunteers and supporters who have helped care for Brooklyn’s most treasured green space during a difficult year.

The Gala helped raise funds for Prospect Park Alliance, which has continued to operate during a pandemic and has ensured that this essential green space is open and accessible to our whole community. Donate to Prospect Park Alliance.

 

c. Chasi Annexy

Meet the 2019 Alliance Gala Honorees

September 17, 2019

Pick out your party outfit—on Saturday, October 5, Prospect Park Alliance hosts its annual Gala at Bartel Pritchard Square. More than just a fun Saturday night of dining and dancing in the park, the Gala is the Alliance’s most important fundraiser of the year and raises critical funds to  sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park. This year at the Gala, the Alliance will honor three Brooklynites who have devoted much of their lives and work to Brooklyn’s most vital green space: longtime Alliance supporters Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo, as well as iconic New York City journalist Pete Hamill. 

Longtime Brooklynites Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo live just a stone’s throw from the park, by Grand Army Plaza. And if their names ring a bell, it might be because they have generously provided the matching sums during the Alliance’s annual spring and summer fundraisers for years, encouraging thousands of dedicated park supporters to give back to the park. The DiPaolos have always recognized the value in this cherished public space, believing firmly that as neighbors to the park and natives of Brooklyn, it is their duty to make sure the park is supported. 

A born-and-bred Brooklynite, Pete Hamill has made his career as a journalist at countless New York City publications, and as an author, notably of his lauded memoir, A Drinking Life (1994). Hamill shares with Lorraine and Gordon a love of Prospect Park, having grown up exploring the woodlands and hanging out as a teenager at what he called “the totes,” short for totem poles—the way Hamill and his friends referred to Standford White’s columned entrance at Bartel Pritchard Square. His family lived in various locations during his childhood, never further than two blocks from the park. Says Hamill, “the park and the Public Library branch on 9th Street and 6th Avenue insured us that we might be poor but we were never impoverished!” Over the years, Hamill has written fondly of long walks through the park with his mother and siblings. For Hamill, the park’s hills and meadows have always been a home to return to, and we are grateful for the opportunity to honor his deep appreciation of Brooklyn’s Backyard.

Interested in supporting the park and attending Prospect Park Alliance’s Gala? Tickets and tables for the Prospect Park Alliance Gala are on sale now! Please contact benefitevents@prospectpark.org or (718) 965-6992 if you have any questions.

Jonathan Grassi

Prospect Park Soiree Announced!

February 5, 2018

Don’t Miss Out on a Magical Evening of Dining and Dancing Under the Stars in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 23, 2018

Tickets on Sale February 13

The most anticipated party of the year is back! Prospect Park Alliance will host the Prospect Park Soiree on Saturday, June 23, a magical, one-night-only celebration in Brooklyn’s Backyard. Tickets will go on sale to the public on February 13 at 9 am.

We provide the entertainment and breathtaking setting, while guests gather with thousands of Park lovers in festive attire, prepare a delicious feast, bring their favorite bottle of wine, and dine and dance under the stars in one of the Park’s most scenic locations, the Peninsula.

Guests are encouraged to show off their creativity with a show-stopping topper—a fabulous hat or headpiece of your choosing—as well as table décor that celebrates the beautiful surroundings, and raise your glass in a toast to Brooklyn’s Backyard.

Individual tickets are $45, and table packages for groups of ten come with two complimentary bottles of wine. Proceeds benefit the non-profit Prospect Park Alliance’s mission to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park.

Visit www.prospectpark.org/soiree for more information and tickets. Please note that guests must be 21 and over.

Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, “Brooklyn’s Backyard,” in partnership with the City. The Alliance provides critical  staff and resources that keeps the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home.

Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Prospect Park Launches 50,000 for the Park

May 18, 2017

Prospect Park Alliance needs you! This year, Prospect Park turns 150, and longtime Prospect Park Alliance supporters Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo have issued a challenge. If the Alliance receives $50,000 in donations of any size by May 25, we will unlock a generous matching gift.

Your support is essential for preserving this haven for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. Prospect Park Alliance provides a majority of the staff and resources to sustain this treasured public space—none of this would be possible without your support.

Love Prospect Park? Help support the critical work of Prospect Park Alliance to keep Prospect Park green and vibrant. Give today and see your donation doubled! Enter to win great prizes including a Meet and Bleat Tour with the Prospect Park Goats!

Give Today

c. Jonathan Grassi

Save the Date: 2016 Gala

July 11, 2016

Celebrate the history and future of Brooklyn’s Backyard, and one of New York City’s most important green spaces, at the annual Prospect Park Alliance Gala. This festive evening will take place on Saturday, October 22, at the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside.

This year’s Gala is the kick-off to the Alliance’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration, and supports the organization’s work to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park.

For more information contact Allison Taylor, Director of Special Events, at 718-965-6992 or benefitevents@prospectpark.org.

c. Jonathan Grassi

Save the Date: Prospect Park Alliance Gala

September 15, 2015

The Prospect Park Alliance will host its annual Gala on Saturday, October 17, at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside. This spirited celebration of Brooklyn’s backyard will honor two beloved Board Members, Albert Garner and Leslie Beller, for their extraordinary dedication to the Alliance and Prospect Park. 

The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner, live auction, entertainment and a heartfelt tribute to Al and Leslie.  As Board Members for over two decades, Al and Leslie have been true advocates for the Alliance, helping to transform Prospect Park into Brooklyn’s most cherished urban oasis and championing the creation of Lakeside, the Alliance’s most ambitious project in the Park. The Prospect Park Alliance Gala provides vital support for the Alliance’s work in Prospect Park to preserve the natural environment, restore historic design and provide programs and amenities for the public for millions of visitors year round.

This year’s Gala will also include an After Party with a DJ set, dancing, desserts and an open bar.

Purchase tickets.

c. Michael Moran/OTTO

LeFrak Center Celebrates Success

September 1, 2014

Prospect Park holds a special place for many Brooklynites, and it is through the support of the community that the Prospect Park Alliance is able to achieve its founding mission: the restoration, preservation and long-term stewardship of this urban treasure. Lakeside is not only the most ambitious project in Prospect Park since its creation nearly 150 years ago, but also an important example of how the Alliance and the City work in partnership to make a great Park greater.

Lakeside has become a year-round destination for tens of thousands of Brooklynites, who are enjoying ice skating, roller skating and water play, as well as scenic new landscapes and a transformed lakeshore. The project has not only won the hearts of Brooklynites, but also has been recognized for its success. Recently, Lakeside was awarded a MASterworks Award for Best Urban Amenity by the Municipal Art Society of New York and also an Award for Excellence in Design by the New York City Public Design Commission.

On October 1, the Alliance will honor the family of Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak at the 2014 Prospect Park Alliance Gala. The LeFrak’s gift to the Alliance ensures the ongoing care of the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, which was made possible through the generosity of the Park’s dedicated elected officials, the Alliance Board of Directors, and support from a range of corporations, foundations and individuals.

“The LeFrak family has deep roots in Brooklyn, and their philanthropy goes back more than 100 years,” said James Snow, Interim President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “Their support of Lakeside is proof that investing in the future of Prospect Park is investing in the Brooklyn community. Since opening last December, Lakeside has served a wide range of communities that consider Prospect Park their backyard.”

Summer fun at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is in full swing, so don’t miss out! How much has Lakeside added to your enjoyment of Prospect Park? Share your experiences with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at #prospectpark.

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

500 for the Park a Success

May 1, 2014

We did it! Over 600 donors contributed to 500 for the Park, helping the Prospect Park Alliance earn a $25,000 challenge grant from Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo. After our donors smashed through the original 500-donor goal, our board of directors stepped in and offered an extra $20 per gift for every donation made above the original 500.

Together, we raised a total of $61,670 for Prospect Park!

These funds will help the Alliance in its important work to preserve and maintain Prospect Park. Working in partnership with the City of New York, the Alliance is responsible for the operation and long-term stewardship of Prospect Park, and funds a significant portion of the budget that keeps Prospect Park clean, safe and beautiful.

Party for the Park

Join the Prospect Park Alliance on Wednesday, June 11, as we celebrate everyone’s favorite Park with music and cocktails under the stars at the Party for the Park. Taking place at the historic Boathouse, one of the Park’s most scenic destinations, this event benefits the Alliance’s work to preserve and maintain Prospect Park.

The evening kicks off with a special pre-party, the Lullwater Lounge, featuring live music by the Smoke Rings and tasting menus prepared by local Brooklyn chefs to pair with Brooklyn Brewery craft beers and specialty cocktails. The main party then gets underway with music and dancing with DJs AndrewAndrew, artisanal sweets by Brooklyn bakers, and a silent auction.

Every ticket helps support the care and maintenance of Prospect Park. It takes millions of dollars each year to keep Prospect Park looking spectacular. The health of the Park depends on the arborists, gardeners, groundskeepers, ecologists and educators that the Alliance, working in partnership with the City, funds through the generous support of its donors.

The first 100 tickets to Party for the Park are $100. After that, tickets to the Party are $125. The VIP Lullwater Lounge Pre-Party tickets are $500 and include dinner, drinks, and live entertainment. Don’t miss one of the most festive nights in Brooklyn!

Share the party on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #partyforthepark.