The annual Lincoln Society Gala has been set for Saturday, March 24th, at the Mansion at Colonial Terrace, 119 Oregon Rd, in Cortlandt Manor.
The event will mark the 115th anniversary of the founding of the organization, one of the oldest Lincoln groups in the United States.
Lincoln made his only speaking stop in Westchester County at the old Peekskill railroad depot in February 1861. He spoke to a crowd of 1,500 people during the train journey to his Inauguration in Washington, DC.
The Lincoln Society’s dinner gala will feature a presentation by Lou Del Bianco, whose grandfather, Luigi Del Bianco of Port Chester, was hired by Gutzon Borglum (designer of Mount Rushmore) to carve the “refinement of expression” and the iconic facial features of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Lou Del Bianco conducted research at the National Archives and successfully waged a 25-year campaign to have the Federal government recognize his grandfather as the “Chief Carver” at Mount Rushmore. The National Park Service finally approved the designation in September 2017. The campaign to honor his grandfather is documented in a new, inspiring book entitled Out of Rushmore’s Shadow: The Luigi Del Bianco Story – An Italian Immigrant’s Unsung Role As Chief Carver (2017). Autographed copies of the book will be available for purchase at the dinner gala.
Assemblywoman Sandy Galef of Ossining will be honored at the dinner celebration. She is the 2018 recipient of the Lincoln Society’s prestigious Champion of History Award for her support of the history community and her personal advocacy of the Lincoln Depot Museum in Peekskill and the proposed new Sing Sing Prison Museum in Ossining.
The public is welcome to attend the Lincoln Society dinner gala and tickets for the black tie (optional) event on March 24th can be purchased on their website. The $100 admission ticket includes: open bar (all night), dinner and dancing, and a buffet of desserts with coffee, tea and cordials. The event features a book signing station, souvenir photo, and silent auction area.
The 2018 dinner gala will be hosted by Lincoln Society president Michael Macedonia.
Photo: Lincoln on Mount Rushmore, provided.
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