On Thursday, March 11th, the New York Young Leaders gathered for their annual St. Patrick’s Celebration at Cipriani Wall Street. Boasting a vibrant crowd of seven hundred up-and-coming professionals at New York’s biggest and most exciting St. Patrick’s event, the Celebration was a resounding success with silent and live auctions, a raffle for a luxury trip to Ireland and celebrity honoree Jimmy Fallon.
Co-chaired by Terence Doran and James Duffy, the Celebration combined St. Patrick’s tradition with the unique energy and high spirits of the Young Leaders. Live band Celtic Cross played both Irish favorites and contemporary classics and led partygoers in the Siege of Ennis- definitely a first time for many of our guests! Saying a few words was City Council Speaker and great friend to the AIF Christine Quinn, who spoke kindly and admiringly about the Young Leaders and the work they have done in the past few years, as well as the encouraging new developments in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
Honoree Jimmy Fallon was a gracious and charming guest, proudly denoting the best qualities of the Irish and speaking on how Irishness is part of his identity, regaling guests with stories about his family and even his attempts in Irish balladry. The St. Patrick’s Committee was thrilled to welcome him to the festivities and present him with the 2010 Irish Spirit Award in appreciation for the work he has done for many charitable causes. In thanks for his commitment to philanthropy, the Young Leaders are delighted to make a $10,000 gift to Partners in Health for Haitian relief.
The evening concluded with an exciting Live Auction and raffle drawing. Including such prizes as a week at a private estate in the Bahamas, a deluxe all-Ireland golf package and tickets to two Yankees/Red Sox games with a pitching lesson from Yankee all-star Jeff Nelson, bidders added to the excitement of the evening while contributing valuable funds to Partners in Health and the other worthy causes supported by The American Ireland Fund. Celebrating their commitment to philanthropy in the best way possible, the New York Young Leaders all helped create a truly exceptional, memorable and successful evening in the St. Patrick’s tradition.
