STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A night of enchantment and elegance awaits as Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden’s South Meadow undergoes a stunning transformation for the 38th Annual Neptune Ball.
On the evening of Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. guests will be whisked away into a glamorous and sophisticated oasis, complete with gourmet cuisine, creative cocktails, and innovative experiences for guests throughout the event.
Set amid the vibrant summer blooms of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens at 1000 Richmond Terrace, tickets to the event are now available, priced at $400, with tables of 10 and sponsorships also available.
This year, guests can embrace the magic of the night with a new interactive electronic tabletop journal, which invites you to explore the wonders of Snug Harbor, learn about honorees Mark and Laura Lauria, and even make a donation – all with the touch of a button.
“Snug Harbor strives to offer experiences that inspire and we’re thrilled to invite one and all to join us for our most important fundraiser of the year,” said Jessica Baker Vodoor, president and CEO of Snug Harbor. “The Neptune Ball is a night of community revelry under the stars, and proceeds raised at this event support year-round opportunities for emerging artists, aspiring farmers and gardeners, and Staten Island community-centered programming for all ages.”
Vodoor explains, “This year, we will honor respected community leaders Mark and Laura Lauria with Snug Harbor’s Lifetime of Service Award. This powerhouse couple has dedicated decades of service to the Snug Harbor organization and the Staten Island community at large. It will be a unique dining and entertainment experience in a gorgeous setting benefitting the grandeur of the occasion.”
EVENT DETAILS
Cocktails, dinner, and dancing will be held on a tented South Meadow at Snug Harbor. Food and drinks are provided by Celebrate at Snug Harbor.
Staten Island musical act Cause and the Effects will set a festive tone throughout the event, with an ongoing mix of classic standards and upbeat hits.
During the dinner, there will be a charitable paddle raise benefitting Snug Harbor led by professional auctioneer Cate Smit.
The evening continues after dinner with dancing on the South Meadow until midnight. Event planning and design is provided by Alissa Sinagra of Champaperie and Sal Pavia of Flora + Dean.
If you can’t attend the Neptune Ball, you can still win big by purchasing a ticket to the raffle drawing. Anyone who purchases a raffle ticket for $50 has a chance to win two Delta Air Lines tickets to anywhere in the continental United States, plus a two-night stay at any Hilton property in the continental United States. You don’t have to be in attendance at the Neptune Ball to win.
Generous lead support of the Neptune Ball includes World Insurance Associates, Inc. as gala chair sponsors.
Additional support includes Tropical Border Sponsors Kevin Chau, Delta Air Lines, the Staten Island Advance and Staten Island University Hospital, White Garden Sponsors Alfred Cerullo III, John and Kathy Connors, Michael Devito, Jr., Northfield Bank, and Rampulla Associates Architects LLP, and in-kind sponsors Merge Event Solutions, The Lois and Richard Nicotra Foundation, Sperry Tent, and United Site Services.
ABOUT THE HONOREES
Staten Island natives, Mark and Laura Lauria are the parents of three daughters, Christine Lauria Badalamenti, Dr. Jennifer Lauria, and Tricia Lauria Flood, and seven grandchildren (Olivia, Sofia, Christian, Alex, Abby, Amelia, and Audrey).
The Laurias, who make their home on Todt Hill, are both deeply involved in fundraising for Staten Island University Hospital and Northwell facilities, including the new Women and Baby Center, securing sonogram machines, and entertainment for children undergoing cancer treatment.
They also are supporters of Eger Health Care & Rehabilitation Center and made it possible to implement state of the art technology at that facility. The Laurias are both inaugural members of the DaVinci Society at Wagner College.
Mark Lauria has been a member of the Board of Directors at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden for more than 20 years. Together they co-founded Mark Lauria Associates, Inc. in 1979, an independent insurance agency on Staten Island. In 2004, they formed a second agency, Mark Lauria Associates of N.J., Inc., based in Red Bank, N.J.
At 10 years old he recalls walking around Snug Harbor and seeing the Snugs on the benches in their three-piece suits and fedora hats, a time when farm animals still lived on the grounds. He remembers how the resident sailors talked to the kids and told them stories. “I never dreamed when walking around as a child that many years later I would be serving as chairman of the board for this spectacular place,” he said.
Lauria is a recognized leader in the insurance industry, both on the local and national level. He has supported the Staten Island community for more than 30 years by serving on numerous boards and helped to raise millions of dollars for local cultural and medical institutions.
He is a 2020 recipient of the Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award from the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce that honors business leaders committed to the community.
He also was the co-honoree for the Notre Dame Academy Centennial in 2014, served on their finance committee for six years and is part of the team that works to raise funding to keep the school thriving on Grymes Hill.
Laura Doerken Lauria graduated with a bachelor of science degree from St. Francis College and has a masters degree in public administration from Long Island University. A graduate of St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, where she received her nursing degree, she worked in the pediatric department and for the director of medicine at St. Vincent’s before retiring in 1993.
She has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Staten Island University Hospital since 2001 and for the SIUH Foundation Board since 2005. She was nominated and awarded Trustee of the Year by the United Hospital Fund for the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital System in 2012. She also served as a board member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation from 1997 to 2017.
Laura has been the chairperson of the Staten Island Hospital Quality Committee for the past five years, and participated in SIUH weekly safety rounds since its inception. She is also the Staten Island representative for the Northwell Health Systems Quality Committee at their monthly meetings.
Laura was awarded the Community Leadership Award as one of the Staten Island Top Women in Business in 2015, and the Community Health Hero Award by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation in 2017. In 2016, Industry Magazine covered Laura’s successful career in hospital systems and community involvement.
To attend, purchase raffle tickets, sponsor the event, and learn about other ways to support the Neptune Ball, visit https://snug-harbor.org/neptuneball2023/ or contact Amanda Seaman at aseaman@snug-harbor.org.
All proceeds from the Neptune Ball go towards Snug Harbor’s mission and programming.
ABOUT SNUG HARBOR CULTURAL CENTER & BOTANICAL GARDEN
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden’s historic 83-acre campus is one of the largest ongoing adaptive reuse projects in America, with 28 structures, 14 unique botanical gardens, 10 acres of wetlands, and a two-acre urban farm. Its mission is to provide a vibrant, regional cultural destination that offers dynamic programming in the arts, education, horticulture, agriculture, and recreation for diverse cultures and all ages while ensuring a well-managed campus for all residents of Staten Island and surrounding communities. Snug Harbor is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Learn more about Snug Harbor at snug-harbor.org.
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