St. Louis leaders Adrian Bracy and Diedre Gray will co-chair the 32nd Annual Forest Park Forever Hat Luncheon, which supports the work of the nonprofit conservancy that maintains and sustains Forest Park in partnership with the City of St. Louis. As co-chairs, Bracy and Gray are host of the single largest annual fundraiser for Forest Park, which this year takes place on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

This iconic event draws together Forest Park Forever supporters and friends from all backgrounds for the purpose of raising money for Forest Park’s care while celebrating its beauty and significance to the St. Louis region. At this year’s event, broadcaster Carol Daniel of KMOX will again serve as Mistress of Ceremonies, and the event’s beloved hat contest makes a return. 

Set in the World’s Fair Pavilion with a view overlooking Government Hill – both restored by Forest Park Forever in the early 2000s – the Hat Luncheon is a fun opportunity for attendees to connect with one another while donning their favorite hats, reflecting personal style, cultural heritage and other forms of expression.

Individual donors, regional leaders, corporations and foundations who attend the Hat Luncheon support the annual funds needed to sustain a 1,300-acre Park that now attracts 15 million visitors per year and has been voted Best City Park in the United States for two consecutive years.

“Forest Park’s continued health is made possible by so many in our community who support its annual needs,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, P.E., President and Executive Director of Forest Park Forever. “Adrian and Diedre are passionate supporters of St. Louis and cherished friends of Forest Park Forever, and we are honored to have them lead this event to celebrate and continue that tradition of support for a place that millions of St. Louisans hold dear.”

Adrian Bracy, MBA, CPA, is president and CEO of Adrian Bracy & Associates, LLC and is an author, business and personal coach, consultant and motivational speaker. She is also the retired Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metro St. Louis, where she served for nearly 12 years.

After spending 18 years in senior financial management in the National Football League with the Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, Bracy transitioned to the non-profit sector to follow her passion: “to inspire and make a difference in the lives of women and girls.” After retiring from the YWCA Metro St. Louis, she accepted a position as Executive Director of The Steward Trust, aka The Steward Family Office.

Bracy has received numerous awards throughout her career, including Black Enterprise 50 Most Powerful Blacks in Sports; Black Enterprise 50 Most Powerful Women in Business; St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women.

A St. Louis native, Diedre Gray is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of Post Holdings, Inc. At Post, Gray serves as the Board secretary, oversees the legal, human resources, and communications departments, as well as serving as the executive sponsor for Post’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts. Prior to Post, Gray started her career at Bryan Cave LLP.  She has served on the Forest Park Forever Board of Directors since 2018 and is chair of its Development Committee.  Gray has been named to St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40,” received a Top Corporate Counsel Award, and was named a General Counsel to Watch by the New York Stock Exchange. 

As event co-chairs, Bracy and Gray are helping raise awareness and support for Forest Park Forever’s work to restore, maintain and sustain the Park as a free, welcoming space for a diverse community of visitors to enjoy. Park amenities that the nonprofit conservancy maintain include woods and waterways, recreational paths and prairies, thoughtfully designed landscapes and historic structures, and more. Significant maintenance in 2022 included resurfacing recreational paths, repairing hardscapes and waterways, restoring natural habitats and pruning 2,200 trees.

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 great urban public parks for a diverse community of visitors to enjoy, now and forever. Forest Park Forever has led major fundraising efforts to restore many landmark destinations in Forest Park, including the Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse and the Jewel Box.

In 2017, the organization completed a major fundraising campaign securing $139 million for Park restoration projects and an expanded endowment.

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 15 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 7,000 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.

About Forest Park

Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, is considered one of the nation’s greatest urban public parks. The Park’s 1,300 acres feature beautiful landscapes sprinkled with forests, ecosystems, nature reserves, lakes and streams, as well as five of the region’s major cultural institutions and endless opportunities for recreation. Forest Park attracts 15 million visitors each year, making it the sixth most visited urban park in the United States. In 2023, for the second consecutive year Forest Park was voted the Best City Park in the country in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.