It was a night of celebration in DowntownDC on Sept. 25 when local officials, business executives, and community leaders joined together for DowntownDC Foundation’s annual Toast to DowntownDC event.
[View the 2024 Toast to DowntownDC Photo Library here.]
Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s pivotal role in Downtown’s “Renaissance,” housing, office conversions, the power of philanthropic initiatives, and more were the topics of conversation among the exclusive crowd of 225 guests at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library for the local non-profit organization.
“The same passion and inspiration for downtown that drives me is what I see in the public officials, private sector leaders and community members here tonight,” said Rachel Rose Hartman, executive director of the DowntownDC Foundation. “Join me in toasting the hope, joy, and vibrancy that together we can create for DowntownDC.”
The event featured remarks from Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development Nina Albert, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Vice President Crispus Gordon III, who also serves as a member of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District’s (BID) board of directors, and Executive Director of the DC Public Library Richard Reyes-Gavilan.
Featured speakers were joined by Hartman, who also serves as Chief Strategy Officer for the BID, Foundation Chair of the Board of Directors Gigi Murphy, and BID President & CEO Gerren G. Price.
The 2024 Toast was supported by sponsorships and donations totaling over $80,000 with all proceeds benefiting the Foundation’s mission to serve and celebrate downtown’s vibrant and diverse community by providing homeless services, revitalizing parks, and enhancing public spaces and experiences. The BID provides all operational costs for the Foundation, enabling every dollar raised to directly support the organization’s programs and initiatives.
The Foundation is a registered 501c3 non-profit that was launched in 2019 to create a vehicle for philanthropic investment and enhance public-private partnerships in the DowntownDC community. To learn more about the organization, visit www.downtowndcfoundation.org.
