Friends of Rittenhouse Square celebrate 100 years with a night of shopping at Boyds
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<p>Students from Gompers and Overbrook elementary schools to protest the district's proposal to close their schools. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>About 150 parents and students gather in front of Gompers Elementary School for a rally and march against school closures. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Taking their message to the streets, about 150 parents and students march around their West Philadelphia neighborhood to protest the district's proposal to close Gompers and Overbrook elementary schools. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>With her 5-year-old son Aiden on her shoulders, Lee Jones, vice president of Gompers Home and School, marches to protest the proposed closure of her son's school. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>ElVee Pryor, who has three children at Overbrook Elementary, joins the march to save the school. "They just spent over a half million dolllars to fix it up, now they're going to shut it down," he said. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Singing "We Shall Overcome," and chanting "the people united will never be defeated," about 150 protesters marched around the West Philadelphia nieghborhood surrounding Gompers Elementary School to protest school closings. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Sodonay Williams, who has two children at Gompers, says closing the school doesn't make any sense. She joined protesters who object to the district's proposal to send Overbrook and Gompers students to Beeber Middle School. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Lee Jones shouts to passing motorists on Lincoln Highway during a protest against school closings. She described the proposal to close Gompers and Overbrook elementary schools as "despicable." (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Gompers School second grader Taylor Jenkins adds her voice to the school closing protest in West Philadelphia. She says she wants to help save her school and others. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Protesters marched in the cold for more than two hours with the hope of persuading the Philadelphia School District to keep Gompers and Overbrook elementary schools open. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Alyssa Devore (left), PR and Marketing Director of Boyds Philadelphia, and Brenda Morales (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>President of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square, Betsy Hummel (left), and Mary Parenti, member of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square and cochair of the 2013 Ball on the Square (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Members of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square Hope Cohen (left), and Nicole Cashman, President & CEO of Cashman & Associates (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Andy Kitko of Butcher and Singer (left) and Francis Lake from STARR Restaurants, who provided delicious samplings for the 230 guests (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Jerry and Donna Slipakoff, members of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Chef Michael Schulson of Sampan (left) and Chef Jeff Michaud of Vetri Family Restaurants, who prepared haute hors d'oeuvres for the party (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Rachel Kohn (left), Michaela Petrone, member of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square Robyn Lewison, and Janice Kramer (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Robyn Lewison, member of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square and Kent Gushner, President of Boyds Philadelphia (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
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<p>Amanda Burden, winner of a Roberto Coin diamond and 18K white gold circle necklace valued at $1,140 donated by Govberg Jewelers (Photo courtesy of Nick D’Aquanno)</p>
Brought to you by Freemans Auctioneers, The Circuit, with Caroline Stewart, takes you to Boyds for the 100th anniversary celebration of Paul Cret’s design of Rittenhouse Square. Become a regular of our new blog to keep up with the hottest philanthropic events.
To kick off the 100th Anniversary celebration of Paul Cret’s design of Rittenhouse Square, Boyds hosted a night of shopping Nov. 30 to benefit the Friends of Rittenhouse Square.
The party featured trunk shows from designers Michael Kors, Herve Leger, Ter et Bantine, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Brioni & Isaia. When the 230 guests weren’t tempted by haute couture, they were enjoying haute hors d’oeuvres prepared by Jeff Michaud of Vetri Family Restaurants; Andy Kitko of Starr Restaurants; and Michael Schulson of Izakaya and Sampan.
Among the 230 guests were Boyds owners Kent Gushner, Jeff Glass, and Ralph Yaffe; Friends of Rittenhouse Square president Betsy Hummel; Donna and Jerry Slipakoff; and Nicole Cashman of Cashman & Associates.
The evening raised $3,000 from treasure chest key sales. Shoppers who bought a $50 key to the “treasure boxes” won either a Roberto Coin diamond necklace from Govberg Jewelers; or from Boyds a Salvatore Ferragamo handbag or a Trussini made-to-measure suit. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of Rittenhouse Square’s 2013 restoration initiatives for the square.
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