Luxury carmaker Audi hosted a private dinner at the Moore Building last night for 50 of Miami’s influential and philanthropic residents to raise money for the company’s Re:design Simpson Park Project, a two-phase renovation of the park. Anja Kaehny, manager of lifestyle communications and corporate social responsibility for Audi America, hoped to raise about $25,000 for the completion of the Brickell park, but fell about 40 percent short of that goal.
“It was really the first fund-raiser and, timing-wise—at the end of June—it wasn’t ideal, but we have $15,000 in the end and that [will] at least fund what we are intending to do,” said Kaehny, who added another event will be planned for later this fall.
The company provided multiple donation options, including the Adopt-A-Tree program with each tree priced at $750, the purchase of donor name plates on the park’s pavilion for $2,500 each, sponsorships as friends of Simpson Park for $500, and the silent auction of a painting donated by artist Stephen Burzynski. The auction also included naming rights to the park’s pavilion, which received an opening bid of $10,000 from an undisclosed law firm. Other donations came from individuals pledging $500 each.
Audi’s experiential and corporate social responsibility marketing firm Siinc Agency produced the garden-inspired event. Kaehny designed the layout with one long table made from recycled woods in the middle of the building’s first-floor atrium, surrounded by white Philippe Starck Bo chairs. Magnolias, holly, orchids, privet trees, and Spanish stoppers—a plant native to Simpson Park—created an indoor garden atmosphere. Soft, low lighting from residential and corporate lighting firm Lighting Dynamics and candles lit the space.
Throughout the 90-minute cocktail reception, outdoor sounds like birds chirping, water falls, and wind played over the sound system, adding to the garden ambience. Lyon and Lyon Catering chef Kenneth Lyon served a three-course vegetarian—and almost completely organic—meal, which began 30 minutes behind schedule due to late arrivals because of the rain.
The revitalization of the park started two years ago as an offshoot of Audi’s involvement with art fair Design Miami, which takes place in the city’s Design District concurrently with Art Basel every December. The project is being executed in conjunction with the city of Miami and Mayor Manny Diaz, whose Green Week program began with this fund-raiser and runs through Friday. Six other events focused on environmental education and investment in local parks are set to occur this week. Audi and the city are working with local architect Chad Oppenheim and landscape designer Enzo Enea, who also co-hosted the dinner, on the park’s new design.
