Questlove, Hudson Yards, & Michael E. Novogratz Honored at 2022 Hudson River Park Friends Gala

by Rebecca Eugene October 19, 2022

by Rebecca Eugene October 19, 2022 0 comments

Hudson River Park Friends hosted their annual Gala on October 13th at Pier Sixty in Hudson River Park.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Questlove attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Questlove and Chef Daniel Humm attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Congressman Jerry Nadler attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Mike Novogratz attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Anna Chernitskaya attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Chef Daniel Humm and Questlove attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Christian Keesee and Carolina Van Humboldt attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Martha Stewart attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Mavis Staples attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Michelle Collins attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: NY State Senator Brad Hoylman attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Harry Santa-Olalla attends the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Steve Gold and Luiza Gawlowska attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Wendy Amsterdam and David Amsterdam attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Jackson Cummings and Morgan Lataillade attend the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Students from the Cross Hill Academy marching band perform during the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: Students from the Cross Hill Academy marching band perform during the Hudson River Park Friends 2022 Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Hudson River Park Friends)

The evening celebrated the continuous donations and help from people within the community who keep the park flourishing. This year’s Gala raised $2.6 million, which supports the park’s 250+ free events and programs. As well as the maintenance of landscapes and gardens and the future care of new park areas under construction including Gansevoort Peninsula and Pier 97, which will add another eight acres of open green space to New York City in 2023.

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The entire event was hosted by comedian and talk show host Michelle Collins who kept guests entertained throughout the night. In addition to the dinner and the live-action, Hudson River Park Friends took time to honor Hudson yards, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and Michael E. Novogratz, who was the first recipient of the Chair’s Leadership Award for his decade-long service to the group. There was also a special performance by Mavis Staples to end the night

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Organizations like Hudson River Park Friends are important to the sustainability of the park’s overall growth and maintenance, all donations raised are redistributed into the park. The 550 Fund offers support to Care for Every Acre, to help the Park’s public education, free performing arts programs, environmental sustainability, and horticulture maintenance. The entire event was filled with people sharing their appreciation for the organization and the individuals who help in preserving the park’s beauty.