Rural Intelligence's friend and sometime contributor Paige Orloff, one of the founders of The Sister Project reports: Over 1,000 people attended the Columbia Land Conservancy's annual Memorial Day weekend fundraisier, a family-friendly afternoon of food (catered by Carlucci Catering of Chatham, Georgia Ray's Kitchen of Hudson, and Kinderhook's Dutch Desserts, with bread and cheese donated by Hawthorne Valley Farm) and festivity, including an ever-popular silent auction. This year's event was held on the grounds of Tom and Nancy Clark's Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.—Paige Orloff
Illustrator Zohar Lazar, Andrew McDonnell, Megan Kane, Courtney McDonnell and Host Committee member Jennifer Capala of Halstead Property in Hudson
Former New York State Senator John Dunne and Denise Dunne of Spencertown, members of the Host Committee, with borrowed children; stilt walker Corey Cox kept the kids enthralled.
Painter Lois Dickson and Karen Kaczmar of Chatham Wine and Liquor, a sponsor of the event; Beth Bidwell, Executive Director of the Wildlife Institute of Eastern NY with a rescued peregrine falcon
Chris Ferrone and Hilary Ferrone, Vice Chair of the Host Committee; Jay Rahman, M.D. and Lauren Shaffer
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
