Love is in the Air

On Thursday, February 14, 2019, The Bowery Mission celebrated its 20th annual Valentine Gala at the iconic Plaza Hotel. Honoring KPMG, LLP, a committed corporate partner, and Jan Nagel, the late Board Chair for The Bowery Mission, the evening was thoughtful yet exuberant. The festivities included networking, dinner, dancing, stories of life transformation, and lively entertainment from auctioneer Lucas Hunt and Inspire: A Choir for Unity. Other important guests in attendance included Honorary Chair and last year’s honoree, Bryan Cho, and host, Alison Morris, from Fox5 News.

Inspired by the Japanese butterflies theme, the designs for this signature event are Yuling’s most textural interpretation to date. A lush color palette and a mix of organic, digitally-painted butterflies create a soulful and spirited vibe. Selective use of vertically run text mimics Japanese writing.

Working off of the designs, The Bowery’s events team re-imagined the space, deftly blending The Plaza’s luxurious French Renaissance château-style, with new projections technologies. The resulting projection-lit ceiling is a visually stunning and an impactful delight for the guests.

In the foyer, guests were also invited to view “Resilient Souls” a photography exhibit documenting the daily life of New Yorkers in crisis.

With the help of over 350 supporters, the evening raised over $1.1 million dollars of critical funds to continue to help our neighbors overcome homelessness and poverty.

Diana, a client of The Bowery Mission said, “This is a place where I am not judged but loved as I go into the next season of my journey.”

To learn how you can support The Bowery Mission in loving our neighbors, please visit bowery.org. The 2019 Valentine Gala was held at The Plaza Hotel, with photography by Albert Cheung Photography, and animation and videography by 590 Films.