Forest Park Forever to Bestow 2017 Hiram W. Leffingwell Award to Rosemary & Joe Shaughnessy and the Shaughnessy Family
Award Will Recognize the Shaughnessy Family’s Longtime Support of Our Region’s Greatest Civic Treasure
Contact:
Katy Peace, Marketing & Digital Media Manager | kpeace@forestparkforever.org | 314.561.3290
ST. LOUIS, May 16, 2017 – Forest Park Forever, the nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park, will bestow its annual Hiram W. Leffingwell Award to Rosemary & Joe Shaughnessy and the Shaughnessy Family.
Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director Lesley S. Hoffarth, P.E., and Board of Directors Chairman Thomas R. Collins will present the award at its annual Leffingwell Society Dinner, a gathering of the organization’s leadership donor group. The event will take place in the World’s Fair Pavilion on the evening of May 18. The event will also feature a brief lecture by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, the president of the Foundation for Landscape Studies and founding director of Central Park Conservancy.
Forest Park Forever bestows this award annually to a corporation, foundation or individual who has made a significant contribution of time, talent or resources to the restoration and maintenance of Forest Park. The award is named for Hiram W. Leffingwell, one of the earliest supporters of Forest Park after its founding in 1876.
“Forest Park would not be the extraordinary place it is today without leadership supporters like Rosemary and Joe Shaughnessy,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, President and Executive Director of Forest Park Forever. “They have been strong advocates and generous donors for most of Forest Park Forever’s 30-year history, and we are so grateful for their support. Inspired by their example, the next generation of Shaughnessy family members are continuing to support the Park so that it can be a civic jewel and place of joy for millions of visitors of every background and interest.”
Rosemary and Joe Shaughnessy are longtime generous supporters of our region’s cultural institutions and nonprofit organizations, including Forest Park Forever, which they have supported for more than 25 years. Joe, co-founder of BSI Constructors, and Rosemary have received several awards in recognition of their civic involvement, including the Missouri History Museum’s 2011 Thomas Jefferson Award for exemplary community service and honorary doctorates from Saint Louis University. The Shaughnessy family, which includes their seven children and 21 grandchildren, have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to improving the region and enhancing the lives of its community members.
“Forest Park was a big reason why Rosemary and Joe Shaughnessy left West County for the City 35 years ago, and they’ve had a front-row seat for its amazing transformation,” said Paul Shaughnessy. “My parents have always understood the importance of Forest Park to the entire region, and their ongoing commitment to its care has been a great example for our entire family.”
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About Forest Park Forever
Founded in 1986, Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that works in partnership with the City of St. Louis and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park as one of America’s greatest urban public parks.
Along with the City of St. Louis, Forest Park Forever raised $100 million between 1995 and 2003 and dramatically restored many landmark destinations in Forest Park, including the Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse and the Jewel Box.
Today, Forest Park Forever maintains Forest Park with the City of St. Louis; raises funds for and helps manage capital restoration projects called for in the Forest Park Master Plan; delivers experiential educational opportunities to teachers, students and adults; and provides information and guides for the Park’s 13 million annual visitors. Not part of the Zoo-Museum Tax District, Forest Park Forever is supported by private donations from throughout the community, including its 7,500 members, 1,100 volunteers and many leading community and corporate partners.
Connect with us at facebook.com/forestparkforever, twitter.com/forestpark4ever and instagram.com/forestparkforever.