Starr Place was the setting on Thursday evening of a benefit pour for the Dutchess County branch of Rebuilding Together, a national organization that lends a hand (and more) to those who cannot properly maintain their homes. This year in Dutchess alone, over 100 sponsors and contributors and more than 500 volunteers will rehabilitate twenty-six houses (market value of their cumulative contribution, a cool $300,000). At Thursday's gathering, real estate brokers and agents paid for the privilege of schmoozing with their competition. As the evening's organizer Julia Crowley of Paula Redmond in Pine Plains explained, "If you're going to do deals together, it's helps if you already know each other."
"Competing" associate brokers Victoria Hoyt and Ann Dyal
Broker Gary DiMauro with clients Deborah and Russell Frehling; Assemblyman Molinaro liaison and Rebuilding Together board member Harold Ramsey with Jake Dunn
Starr Place owner Lawrence Henry Bank with the evening's organizer Julia Crowley and restaurant manager Arlin Smith; realtors Gail Saucier, Tecia Poulas, and Stephanie Winne
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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
