Celebrating the 100th anniversary of its annual spring gala May 19 at Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, The Thursday Club raised $145,000 – its largest amount ever – for this year’s beneficiary, Groundwork Hudson Valley, a Yonkers-based nonprofit that aims to create sustainable environmental change in low-income urban neighborhoods. (Kimberly Huchro of Scarborough and Mary Melvin of Irvington served as co-chairs of the event.)
Leslie Allen of Briarcliff Manor, Thursday Club president, presented the $145,000 check to Brigitte Griswold, Groundwork executive director, on June 10. The money will go toward Groundwork’s efforts to create a Climate Safe Neighborhood Task Force to help residents of southwest Yonkers adapt their community to such climate-change threats as flooding, heat waves and extreme storms.
“Groundwork Hudson Valley’s mission is very similar to that of The Thursday Club: We are both centered on addressing issues impacting our communities,” Griswold said. “We are in a climate crisis and our neighbors in southwest Yonkers are among the most vulnerable. We are honored to work together with our neighbors to help create a more climate responsive city so that we can all live healthy, safe, productive lives.”
Speaking on behalf of The Thursday Club, Allen emphasized the importance of serving the community: “Our commitment to our community and one another remains paramount. Each year, we work together to improve the world around us. We are thrilled to support Groundwork Hudson Valley again this year (Groundwork was a beneficiary in 2012), an organization with which we share the values of sustainability and resilience.”
For more visit groundworkhv.org and thursdayclubbenefit.com.
