Bears were everywhere at the Fresh Air Fund’s Salute to American Heroes benefit at Tavern on the Green, thanks to one of the event’s chairs, Build-A-Bear Workshop president Maxine Clark (other chairmen included Allyson and Todd Waterman, Ginny and Tiki Barber. The event was full of vibrant colors, flowers, and bears (natch), giving the venue appropriately youthful decor that promoted both the Fresh Air Fund’s cause—supporting programs for inner-city children—and the stuffed-toy retailer’s store, slated to open on Fifth Avenue in July.
Melissa Katz of Gourmet Advisory Services and Harriette Rose Katz Events planned and Jerry Harmyk designed the gala. The tables had elaborate centerpieces featuring a Camp Fresh Air Fund bear made especially for the event (also found in the gift bags) sitting atop pink and white roses, and bear-shaped cookies from St. Louis bakery Sweet Encores were placed at every seat.
Honorees Jennifer Connelly, Vin Diesel, and James Gandolfini received special one-of-a-kind bears customized in their likenesses. M.C. Carson Daly and members of the New York Giants also received personalized bears. (Each celebrity also autographed a second personalized bear for display at the new store.)
Aside from placing bears everywhere, Katz also made sure the event promoted the nonprofit's work. The entrance featured large posters of children playing outside, and Bestek Lighting & Staging projected the images as a series of still frame shots on either side of the stage, as well as on televisions along the tent’s perimeter.
Chairs were ornamented with a variety of playful toys, such as plastic fans, bright pink plastic rings, comical buglike antenna headbands, and colorful, oversized Alice in Wonderland-inspired hats. Cloth flowers were tucked in with each napkin, which were held together with rubber Fresh Air Fund-branded bracelets reminiscent of the yellow Lance Armstrong bands.
Flower petals were strewn in the entrance, where large bouquets of fabric daisies hung from the ceiling. Inside the tent, brightly colored, daisy-shaped lights hung from the tent’s poles next to floral banners created by Jerry Harmyk. Bestek projected green and yellow flowers onto the tent’s ceiling, matching the bright yellow and green banners festooned with giant daisies that decorated the stage.
After feasting on a meal catered by Tavern on the Green, the 900 guests enjoyed a lively, up-tempo concert provided by the Doug Winters Music band Best Kept Secret, as well as speeches from the night’s celebrity honorees.
—Andrea Daane
Photos: Djamilla Conchran/WireImage (celebrity bears)
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Melissa Katz of Gourmet Advisory Services and Harriette Rose Katz Events planned and Jerry Harmyk designed the gala. The tables had elaborate centerpieces featuring a Camp Fresh Air Fund bear made especially for the event (also found in the gift bags) sitting atop pink and white roses, and bear-shaped cookies from St. Louis bakery Sweet Encores were placed at every seat.
Honorees Jennifer Connelly, Vin Diesel, and James Gandolfini received special one-of-a-kind bears customized in their likenesses. M.C. Carson Daly and members of the New York Giants also received personalized bears. (Each celebrity also autographed a second personalized bear for display at the new store.)
Aside from placing bears everywhere, Katz also made sure the event promoted the nonprofit's work. The entrance featured large posters of children playing outside, and Bestek Lighting & Staging projected the images as a series of still frame shots on either side of the stage, as well as on televisions along the tent’s perimeter.
Chairs were ornamented with a variety of playful toys, such as plastic fans, bright pink plastic rings, comical buglike antenna headbands, and colorful, oversized Alice in Wonderland-inspired hats. Cloth flowers were tucked in with each napkin, which were held together with rubber Fresh Air Fund-branded bracelets reminiscent of the yellow Lance Armstrong bands.
Flower petals were strewn in the entrance, where large bouquets of fabric daisies hung from the ceiling. Inside the tent, brightly colored, daisy-shaped lights hung from the tent’s poles next to floral banners created by Jerry Harmyk. Bestek projected green and yellow flowers onto the tent’s ceiling, matching the bright yellow and green banners festooned with giant daisies that decorated the stage.
After feasting on a meal catered by Tavern on the Green, the 900 guests enjoyed a lively, up-tempo concert provided by the Doug Winters Music band Best Kept Secret, as well as speeches from the night’s celebrity honorees.
—Andrea Daane
Photos: Djamilla Conchran/WireImage (celebrity bears)
Related Stories
Kiddie Decor for Fresh Air Fund
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Thai Air Launch Brings Native Beauty, Hospitality
Food Has Flower Power at Brides Promo
Designer Puts Flowers Under the Table
For the Fresh Air Fund’s spring gala at Tavern on the Green, each table was decorated with the night’s exclusive Camp Fresh Air Fund Bear atop centerpieces of pink and white roses.
Melissa Katz of Gourmet Advisory Services and Harriette Rose Katz Events was responsible for the gala’s youth-themed decor, and Bestek gave the event a green and yellow lighting scheme.
Bestek Lighting & Staging helped to created the brightly colored, flower-adorned stage, as well as the still-frame images of children playing outside, projected throughout the evening on either side of the stage.
Build-A-Bear Workshop created unique celebrity bears to resemble M.C. Carson Daly, and honorees Vin Diesel and James Gandolfini.
