This weekend we were joined by 400 of our biggest supporters and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti for our 28^th annual fundraising gala, An Evening Under the Harvest Moon.

This year’s program focused on California’s ongoing drought and our commitment to create a water-secure Los Angeles.  Mayor Garcetti’s keynote speech inspired us all, as he spoke of the critical nature of our work and pushed us to continue moving toward higher conservation goals. (Fun fact: He’s been involved with TreePeople since he was a teen!)

“Can we plant more trees, even in the midst of drought, because it helps us retain water? Mayor @ericgarcetti. Can we do it, LA? #HarvestMoon15 🌳

A video posted by TreePeople (@treepeoplela) on Sep 26, 2015 at 7:36pm PDT

In order to practice conservation, we served a vegetarian, water-conscious menu and utilized drought-tolerant flowers in our centerpieces. We minimized waste by eliminating a program book and using recycled shirts at our live screen-printing station. Best of all, we were visited by some of our most beloved partners, including our friend, The Drop—motivating us to keep up our water conservation efforts!

The Drop promoting water conservation with one of its biggest partners, @treepeoplela, at the TreePeople gala with @ericgarcetti. #savethedropla #harvestmoon15

A photo posted by The Drop (@savethedropla) on Sep 26, 2015 at 7:05pm PDT

Our Board Chair, Ira Ziering, was honored with the Barbara Goldenberg Volunteer Award for his generous contributions and his dedication to ensuring our solutions are at scale. We also recognized Hubbard Elementary with the Partner in Community Award, for their tireless efforts in benefiting the next generation with a green campus.

Celebrity VIP guest, Holly Marie Combs also snapped a photo with our very own Founder and President, Andy Lipkis.

He is just so inspiring. Andy Lipkis. #HarvestMoon15 #TreePeopleLA #TreePeople

A photo posted by @thehmc on Sep 26, 2015 at 6:55pm PDT

The evening offered a live auction and raffle, during which our generous attendees rose to the challenge to surpass our goal, raising a record $459,025. Much of this is in thanks to our longtime supporter, Beth Burnam, who spontaneously instituted a matching challenge of her own!

Entertainment featured Abigail Washburn, Ben Sollee and Kai Welch complimenting the evening with their rustic bluegrass sound.

Love and generosity for TreePeople filled the evening. Thank you to all our friends and supporters who were able to join us. We couldn’t do this meaningful work without YOU! We look forward to seeing each of you again next year.

Ready to show your support? It’s not too late! Make a charitable contribution today and support a water-secure Los Angeles.