Few fund-raising gala committees give teenagers a pivotal role in events, but at Wednesday night's fund-raiser for the YMCA of Greater New York, the Teen Dodge Dinner committee—three teenagers from different YMCAs in the New York area—coordinated most aspects of the 615-person benefit at Cipriani Wall Street.Of course they had help. Interviewed, chosen, and supervised by Lisa Wainer, the association's director of
special events, committee members Jennifer Li, Cindy Morand, and Jeremy
Tavera made decisions on the food, the entertainment, and the decor for the annual award dinner. Armed with scoring sheets from Wainer (to rate candidates and keep track of favorites), the trio visited vendors, picking tabletop centerpieces (that illustrated the theme "giving kids a place to grow") and tasting the menu (getting a lesson in etiquette at the same time). They even held auditions to find the evening's talent (two singers, two M.C.s, and a choir) from the different YMCA branches.
"I wanted to give back to the Y, because they gave me so much. They really encouraged me," Morand said. For the high school senior, who is putting this experience toward an event she is organizing for another YMCA program, the planning process was as rewarding as it was fun. "[During the entertainment auditions] I really got to see what other branches are doing and how much talent there is in the Y."
More teens attended the event, joining government officials and other supporters, to raise more than $1.25 million in support of YMCA's programs. At the dinner, the YMCA presented Seth Waugh (C.E.O. of Deutsche Bank Americas) with the Dodge award and gave scholarships to four high schoolers.
"I wanted to give back to the Y, because they gave me so much. They really encouraged me," Morand said. For the high school senior, who is putting this experience toward an event she is organizing for another YMCA program, the planning process was as rewarding as it was fun. "[During the entertainment auditions] I really got to see what other branches are doing and how much talent there is in the Y."
More teens attended the event, joining government officials and other supporters, to raise more than $1.25 million in support of YMCA's programs. At the dinner, the YMCA presented Seth Waugh (C.E.O. of Deutsche Bank Americas) with the Dodge award and gave scholarships to four high schoolers.
Photo: BizBash
To represent the night's theme, the committee chose live tree centerpieces covered with glass votives.
Photo: BizBash
The night ended with a performance from the chamber singers of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, which is affiliated with the Long Island City YMCA.
Photo: Jerry Speier
