MEDIA CONTACTS:
Susan Daly (401-848-5777, ext 220)
Cynthia Goss (203-453-2731)
For Immediate Release
IYRS Gala Sponsored by Lexus Raises $650,000 for School’s Educational Programs; Success of Tenth Annual Summer Gala Comes on Eve of Launching New Training Program
Newport (R.I.) July 18, 2007 — There was a certain kind of a magic that hovered over the International Yacht Restoration School on the evening of July 14, when this Newport school and title sponsor Lexus hosted the Tenth Annual IYRS Summer Gala. It was not only the physical transformation of the school—an industrial space turned elegant by Richard Carbotti with crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling panels of diaphanous fabric: it was the fact that nearly 500 gala-goers gave so generously to this school that helps students transform their own lives by studying here and becoming skilled marine craftsmen. After the conclusion of a sit-down dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions, a record-breaking total of $650,000 was raised for the school's educational programs.
"There was definitely magic in the air," said Joseph Dockery (Newport, R.I./Greenwich, Conn.), an IYRS Trustee who shared the event co-chairmanship with Carol O'Malley (San Antonio, Texas). "Gary Jobson was a master at getting dinner guests involved in the auction: people dug deep into their pockets to find the funds that will help IYRS continue its good work."
Sharing the school's unfailing commitment to craftsmanship, title sponsor Lexus was joined by platinum sponsors Castello delle Regine, Conde Nast Publications, Prestige Lexus of Ramsey (N.J.), and Sentient Jet Membership.
The funds raised at the Gala represent a record for this annual event and a 33% increase over the amount raised at last year's Gala. The success of the event comes at an important time: the marine industry has a continuing need for skilled workers, and IYRS has expanded its educational offerings with a new, one-year program in Marine Systems. Developed with the American Boat & Yacht Council, the systems program launches this fall and joins the two-year program in traditional boat building and restoration and an extensive menu of continuing education courses.
To mark the event's tenth anniversary, co-chairs Dockery and O'Malley worked with IYRS to create something new by making this year's gala the centerpiece of an entire weekend of festivities—including a regatta onboard a fleet of spirit-of-tradition yachts that included match-racing between W-76s White Wings and Wild Horses, evening parties at estates and waterfront homes of IYRS supporters, and a farewell brunch and cruise on Sunday onboard a fleet of private yachts. People came from as far afield as Europe, Hong Kong, and the U.S. West Coast and Gulf coast to support the event.
"Expanding the gala into an entire weekend of activity allowed people to come here for a real Newport experience," said O'Malley. "And it gave those people time to gain an appreciation for the work IYRS does, to understand the important purpose this school fulfills."
World-class sailor and journalist Gary Jobson served as the master of ceremonies for a live auction, which took place as guests dined on fine cuisine by Blackstone Caterers and wines by Castello delle Regine. The auction included items such as an IYRS-restored Manhasset Bay One Design sailboat and once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities, such as an invitation to join Ted Turner, Jobson, and the Courageous crew at a dinner at the America's Cup Hall of Fame (Bristol, R.I.) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the crew's Cup win. When asked for donations for critical safety equipment for the school, many hands were enthusiastically raised to make this the largest ticket item of the evening ($58,000). Sentient Jet Membership sponsored a new "Collectors' Gallery"—a special silent auction with fine art items such as an 1882 Antonio Jacobsen painting donated by Quester Gallery, which garnered a winning bid of $40,000, and antique Haviland porcelain. This new gallery, staged in a separate area of IYRS Restoration Hall, greatly contributed to the success of the evening.
"I have never seen so much synergy at a fundraising event, with such strong support for the work of a single nonprofit from so many different people," said Co-Chair Carol O'Malley. "We have many individuals to thank: our sponsors and supporters, those who gave so generously, those who donated auction items and volunteered, and the fine team at IYRS."
The 2008 IYRS Summer Gala will be held on Saturday, July 12.
The International Yacht Restoration School occupies a 2.5-acre waterfront campus on Newport's Thames Street, with a marina, two historic buildings, and a collection of classic watercraft donated to the school for restoration. Dedicated to education and maritime preservation, the school teaches the skills, history, art and science of building, restoring and maintaining boats and their systems. IYRS graduates are highly regarded for their passion and craftsmanship and work in modern and restoration boat yards around the world.
For more information about IYRS, please visit www.iyrs.org or call 401-848-5777.
NOTE TO MEDIA: To request photos of the Annual Summer Gala and the accompanying regatta, please contact Cynthia Goss (203-453-2731) or Susan Daly (401-848-5777, ext 220).