The Hudson Opera House is both impossible and easy to overlook. Impossible because its doors are always open, and something is always going on there. Easy, because most of what happens there is not for the sort of people who showed up on Saturday, April 30 at HOH's annual Moveable Feast fundraiser. Last year, HOH presented 1125 programs, 80% of them free. In addition to hosting its fair share of headliners, HOH reaches deep into the community to draw out the early readers, arty kids, would-be artists and writers, both children and adults, and puts them together with experts who can teach them how to do something new or how to get better at something they already love doing. Until you've seen a bunch of high school girls in rehearsal tights with their dance shoes slung over the shoulders, saying a lingering good-bye in front of HOH in the late afternoon, you don't know the real Hudson Opera House.
Jennifer Merschdorf, Brock Ganeles, Tom Froese, and Valerie Balint, all members of the HOH board.
Purcell Palmer, Gary Schiro, executive director of HOH, and Joan Davidson; Risha Meledandri and Judith Garten
Sarah Lipsky and Anne Conolly; Tom Swope, Timothy Van Dam, and Ron Wagner
Barbara Gaba, Walter Flemenbaum, and Judith Flamenbaum, wearing a necklace by Mark McDonald; Carol Nahon and Ken Ketay
Lili and Loo's Melinda Slover and Carla Sadoff; Hudson City Schools SuperintendentJack Howe and Patty Howe, who teaches Health
Donna Fingar, her niece Briana Fingar, and son Peter Fingar; Heyden Coleman, Oscar Rodriguez, and Anthony Lujack
Jason Jarushewsky, Karen Ramos, and Deborah Kinney; Keith Nuss, Michelle Saunders, and Ramzi Abufaraj
Lisa Dolan, Valerie Flood, and Barbara Sheffer; Maria Suttmeier Assistant Superintendant and Cathy Barrett, Occupational Therapist, both of the Hudson City Schools
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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
