On one of the first fall evenings of 2018, a cool breeze blew through Coldwater Canyon Park, sending the fallen leaves of our deciduous trees dancing down the winding hiking trails.
At the top of the hill, the TreePeople Conference center bustled with energy as our massive cistern was transformed into a grand ballroom under the stars. String lights shone over dining tables, elegant place settings glowed in the soft light, massive bouquets of mauve, blush, and mulberry-colored flowers dotted the scene, and caterers weaved through the gathering crowd with trays of drinks and miniature hors d’oeuvres catered by Schaeffer’s.
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Guests began the evening with opportunities to create a photo memento with a photo booth and on our green carpet. We were joined by SNL alum and comedian Molly Shannon with her husband and artist Fritz Chesnut, Airplane director David Zucker, The Voice Season 12 Contestant Aliyah Moulden, Political Animal’s Brittany Ishibashi, Preacher’s Julie Ann Emery, and over 400 more climate champions!
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The night was emceed by media star and fashion expert Kalee Hewlett. She highlighted the work of TreePeople and engaged the audience to learn more about how they can support and fight for the environment.
The evening culminated in excitement as the guests helped us celebrate our honorees.
The Actors Conservatory Ensemble (ACE) took the stage to receive a Barbara Goldenberg Award for Volunteer Service as a grand thank you for 16 years and over 150 evenings of fantastic entertainment with TreePeople in Coldwater Canyon Park.
Dr. Jonathan Fielding and Karin Fielding were honored with an Evergreen Award for Visionary Leadership for their dedication to philanthropy and protecting the environment. Mrs. Fielding accepted her award with an inspiring word to the audience, followed by an excellent presentation about the environmentally friendly future we must create by Dr. Fielding.
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Last but certainly not least, Irmelin DiCaprio received her Evergreen Award for Visionary Leadership for the extensive environmental advocacy work she has done in the documentary film industry and through the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. She took a moment to reflect on her past, the upbringing of her son, and harnessing the power of his success to help create a safer, greener world.
The spirit of giving soared over the crowd as our host, Kalee Hewlett, and Director of Park Operations, Jim Hardie, led a live auction raising $70,000 to bring the total fundraising for the night up to over $500,000! The kindness of our guests will go toward expanding tree canopy to the corners of our city that need it and to restoring forests in and around Los Angeles. To them, we say THANK YOU for helping us fight for the environment!
We are so endlessly grateful for the gifts of our guests as well as our sponsors. Marilyn Ziering, The Disney Company, Vivian and Phil Boesch, and Cindy Harrell and Alan Horn, thank you for your support! And of course, a big thank you to our in-kind sponsors: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, The Disney Company, A to Z Wineworks, Bio-K, Joymode, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, REI, Moraga, and Vita Coco! The night would not have been possible without your contributions.
And finally, THANK YOU to all those who joined us at An Evening Under the Harvest Moon! It was a pleasure having you at our beautiful headquarter park and we can’t wait to see you at next year’s Harvest Moon!