English Ball Celebrates a Commitment to Community
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the 2019 English Ball was a huge success with a record-breaking $152,000 raised on the night to support our Scholarship Program. More than 300 guests gathered at Guastavino’s on April 25th to support the Society’s historic mission and celebrate the achievements of our honorees: Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP and Tim Marlow, Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Art.
The dinner opened with a loyal toast led by Antony Phillipson, Her Majesty’s Consul General in New York. In his welcoming remarks, President Philip Warner OBE acknowledged the Society’s legacy of providing care, comfort and kindness when it is needed most recounting the story of Alvin Pryce, a former beneficiary.
Longtime St. George’s Society supporter, C. Hugh Hildesley MBE of Sotheby’s presented the Anglo-American Cultural Award to Tim Marlow in an introduction comically entitled “7 Things I Hate About Tim Marlow”, which detailed Marlow’s extensive list of achievements and accolades. Upon accepting the award, Marlow commented on the impact of the “special relationship” on arts and culture.
Preceding the “Fund-A-Scholar” auction, Scholarship Program alumna, Lystona Chavarria, spoke about how her scholarship enabled her to achieve her dream of becoming a Math Teacher after having put college on hold for several years:
“Having people who believe in us—believe in our dreams—is a powerful thing. It is life-changing. I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you to St. George’s Society and its supporters for your belief, your encouragement and your investment in our futures.”
This accompanied the exciting announcement that BP America has made a multi-year commitment of $50,000 to seed Pathways, the Society’s newest initiative that enables corporate partners to fund scholarships for future students, enabling them to reach graduation.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the Medal of Honor to Bob Dudley. Following a notable introduction by Lord George Robertson, Dudley remarked on BP and St. George’s Society’s shared commitment to improving the communities in which we live and work:
“By supporting the St George’s Society, you can be sure your money will be put to very good use helping to change people’s lives for the better. That is very much the BP way. We advance energy to improve people’s lives.”
We extend our gratitude to this year’s Presenting Sponsors: BP and Hess Foundation Inc.; Gold Sponsor: Citi; Silver Sponsor: Marie-Josée & Henry R. Kravis; and our Bronze Sponsors: Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.