Holiday Events in New York and Philadelphia Re-energize Conservancy Working Groups

Holiday gatherings hosted by SS United States Conservancy Working Groups in Philadelphia and New York offered an opportunity to share some holiday cheer and discuss plans for 2010.

Members of the Philadelphia Working Group and Chair Steven Ujifusa gathered at the Chart House on the Philaelphia Waterfront

Fifteen members of the Conservancy’s Philadelphia Working Group met for a holiday dinner at The Chart House on Friday, December 11. Among the attendees were Philly Working Group Chair Steven Ujifusa, board member Jeff Henry and family, Mark Brooks, Judge Thomas Watkins, Arlene Harrison, Steve Perry, and George Claflen.  Joining them were a few members of the New York Working Group, including Conservancy Executive Director Dan McSweeney, Susan Caccavale, Walter Frey, and Eddie Carr.  Before dinner, some of the group visited the “Splendor in Decay” exhibition at Calumet Photographic, organized by Rita DeVechis.  Although the ship remains in grave danger, the group has much to celebrate as the year closes, namely the securing of the $300,000 matching grant from Gerry Lenfest, a letter of support from Congressman Joe Sestak, high profile events at IKEA and the Independence Seaport Museum, and most recently, the adoption by Philadelphia City Council of a resolution recognizing the historical significance of the SS United States and supporting her future use as a floating attraction along a revitalized Delaware River. The dinner ended with William Francis Gibbs’s favorite toast: “To all you ever want. Doubled. Good health. And the Big Ship.”

Members of the Conservancy’s New York Working and their guests gathered at Manhattan’s Soldiers and Sailors Club on Lexington Avenue on December 18.  Attendees discussed latest developments in New York, including a highly successful Conservancy annual meeting, major media coverage, and key meetings with the Economic Development Corporation and the Hudson River Park Trust.  After a raffle, in which a variety of SS United States items were awarded, a contribution to the Conservancy was presented by representatives of George Sharp, Inc., a leading maritime engineering firm.  Finally, talk turned to plans for maximizing impacts in 2010.  Under the leadership of Working Group Chair Susan Caccavale, 40 attendees enjoyed the evening.

Some of the 40 guests who gathered at the Soldiers and Sailors Club in Manhattan under the leadership of Working Group Chair Susan Caccavale

“These gatherings demonstrate the momentum we continue to generate in Philadelphia and New York,” said Conservancy Board President Susan Gibbs.  “We have much work to do in 2010 and we’ll turn to our working groups to ensure we accomplish our mission of saving the SS United States.”