It’s not very often that you get invited to dine under the giant blue whale that has come to be synonymous with the American Museum of Natural History. My good friends at Lavazza, who doled out their delicious coffee at the event, invited me to check out the Rainforest Alliance 2016 Annual Gala, which took place last week after hours at the museum.
The Rainforest Alliance is a non-profit organization, that as the name implies, works to conserve and preserve biodiversity to help ensure sustainable livelihoods and promote healthy ecosystems. Astoundingly, every minute 50 acres of rainforest are destroyed, leading to two dozen species to become extinct every day. As you may know, Lavazza is a great company that supports multiple charities, and the Rainforest Alliance is one of them. At the annual gala, conservationists, innovators, and leaders in both business and diplomatic communities come together to support a very important cause.
The evening included an awards ceremony honoring the recipients of the Sustainable Standard-Setter and Lifetime Achievement awards (presented to the Government of Norway, accepted by Vidar Helgesen and Juana Payaba Cachique, former president of Tres Islas, respectively ), as well as live entertainment, a silent auction and a wonderful dinner. Honorees Clearwater Paper Corporation and Clif Bar were also recognized at the event. Model and activist Cameron Russell also made an appearance to give a heartwarming speech on her experiences abroad, as well as a performance by Norwegian sensation Angelina Jordan, who won Norway’s Got Talent at just eight years old.
The evening also hosted a silent auction with proceeds going towards the Rainforest Alliance’s conservation efforts. To learn more about this amazing charity, visit their website.
*All images via Silk Studio
Twisted Talk: Do you support any charities? What do you think we need to do to help protect our environment? Discuss below!
