Laura Bush, Back in Town to Save America's Front Yard

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Former First Lady Laura Bush spoke of her deep love and appreciation for the National Mall as she began her five year honorary chairmanship for the Trust for the National Mall

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With more than 25 million visitors each year, the National Mall is literally being loved, visited and toured to death. As America's de facto front yard, it needs to be saved.

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Former First Lady Laura Bush and Allison Priebe Brooks enjoyed talking about Texas and the gorgeous Cherry Blossoms around the tidal basin. Mrs. Bush will be the Trust's honorary chair for the next five years.

To the rescue are some of the region's most deep-pocketed philanthropists, like billionaire venture capitalist David Rubenstein, who have made it clear that a new force to be reckoned with in terms of charity and grant dollars is now the Trust for the National Mall.
 
America’s front yard certainly received a much needed charitable infusion this month with the luncheon and also with the L’Enfant Society's annual Ball On The Mall.
 
Earlier this month two of the Trust's signature events, the 5th Annual Benefit Luncheon on May 3 and then the more raucous Ball on the Mall two days later raised a whopping $2 million.
 
The money will be turned over to the National Park Service to restore, revitalize, and preserve the National Mall, which stretches from the base of the Capitol building past the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and over to the Jefferson Memorial.
 
The Mall is in a state of disrepair, reflecting years of neglect and inadequate funding.
 

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Chairman of the Trust, developer Chip Akridge is a huge driving force behind this extraordinary project to restore and revitalize the national mall.

Unable to cope with the staggering repair and maintenance required to keep up with such crowds, the National Park Service is now faced with the herculean task of raising some $400 million for the park’s first major renovation in more than 35 years.
 
In just five years The Trust for the National Mall has raised $100 million and has four major renovations under way. Considering the tough economic times we've endured as a country this has proven to be no small undertaking.
 
Part of the great success goes to the excellent people involved with the Trust. Former First Lady Laura Bush agreed to be honorary chair of the Trust for the National Mall for the next five years and was the keynote speaker at this year's luncheon.
 
She told a moving story about her father in law, George H. W. Bush and the Queen of England visiting the World War II Memorial together, and recalled Martin Luther King Jr.'s march on Washington and his earth-moving speech at the Lincoln Memorial.
 
When luncheon Co-Chair Ambassador Mary Ourisman, former diplomat to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, went to introduce keynote speaker she made her affections for the former First Lady clear.
 
“It’s a privilege to have Laura as the honorary chair, representing what can be done here,” Ourisman said. “We are gathered here today and throughout the country because in our hearts, Laura will always be First Lady....In our hearts, the First Lady of America.”
 
Mrs. Bush then delivered a heartfelt address to the 1,200-person crowd.
 
She kept things light, sharing memories of taking drives along the Mall to see the monuments at night, and confessed that as first lady, she sometimes walked the Mall incognito. “When I first came to live at the White House, I’d sometimes put on a baseball cap and sunglasses and walk along the gravel paths early in the morning, blending in with all the other walkers and joggers,” she said. Proving her love for the national mall was not unlike the love many Americans feel for this sacred ground.
 

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Washington Society rallied around the cause to restore the National Mall luncheon guests included Piper Gioia, Tandy Dickerson, Michelle Michelle Dupont Olson with Luncheon Chairs - Mandell Ourisman and The Honorable Mary Ourisman, Holidae Hayes and Ann Walker raising two million dollars at the 5th Annual Benefit Luncheon.

The chair of the Trust, developer Chip Akridge, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also spoke at the luncheon. Akridge has been a driving force behind the project, responsible with his wife Sally helping to raise millions.
 
On May 5, scores of young Alexandrians and Washingtonians came out in spades for the festive Ball on the Mall, donning black tie and dancing the night away to raise money for the Trust. Through the young professionals group known as the L’Enfant Society, a younger set of philanthropists and supporters are able to help raise funds.
 
Del Ray's Christian Gullott and Washington's Marissa Mitrovich co-chaired the 4th Annual Ball on the Mall, a VIP dinner followed by a spirited dance party.
 
As the signature annual fundraiser for the subgroup of the Trust for the National Mall, the L’Enfant Society drew about 1,000 dapper guests to the sold-out event for an elegant evening under a huge tent set out on the Mall. Guests could not help but marvel at the spectacular nighttime views of both the Washington Mounment and the US Capitol. The event was a smashing success and raised $650,000 for restoration efforts.
 
The Trust works year round towards the goal of restoring, revitalizing, and preserving the National Mall and maintaining its enduring symbols of American democracy for present and future generations.
 
In 2016 the National Park Service will celebrate it's centennial and one of the major goals of The Trust is to help fund these major renovations.
 
There are ways both big and small to get involved: visit http://www.nationalmall.org/

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks The Luncheon attracted many of Washington's best dressed ladies - and they wore gorgeous hats and festive Spring Fashions!

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Ball on the Mall Co-Chair Marissa Mitrovich and The L'Enfant Society Board Member Lindley Thornburg flank one lucky young man on the dance floor.

Photo by Allison Priebe Brooks Cheryl Romero, Stephanie Green, Constance Christakos and Nina Snow take a break from the dance floor at Ball on the Mall.