FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JoAnn Falletta’s 20th Anniversary with the BPO commemorated at Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park
Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy as joined today by the Siegel family, unveiled and presented a commemorative paver to JoAnn Falletta in honor of her 20th Anniversary with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The Siegel Landing, which officially opened in June of 2018 at Hoyt lake in Delaware Park, is a renovated hardscape project conceived by Herb Siegel, a well-respected local attorney, philanthropist and founder of the Herb and Aaron Siegel Foundation.
“We are honored to celebrate Ms. Falletta on 20 years with the BPO and her continued support in the Buffalo community.” said Aaron Siegel, Herb & Aaron Siegel Foundation. “We are grateful that Ms. Falletta was able join us for the unveiling. This Landing is a special place where Buffalonians come to celebrate special times in their lives and pay tribute to loved ones, friends and family. On behalf of my family and my fellow Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Board Members, we thank you.”
The restorative landscape at Hoyt Lake is a testament of the philanthropic legacy of Herb Siegel, which includes an endowment toward ongoing maintenance. The Siegel’s gift demonstrates the exact type of fundraising support the Conservancy needs to sustain park projects.
“I am incredibly honored to be recognized by the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the Siegel family, and our patrons in such a touching way,” commented Ms. Falletta. “I have been proud to call the City of Buffalo my home for the past two decades. One of the many things I love about this great city is its breathtaking parks system, which inspires me every day. A great city deserves a great orchestra, and it has been my privilege to conduct one of the best orchestras in the world these past 20 years. I look forward to making music together for years to come.”
The significance of the Siegel Landing marks the historic bandstand and boat launch site for Gala Water, making the restoration of the Siegel Landing a positive step in preserving Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks legacy. Located at the western shore of Hoyt Lake, pavers are available for purchase and personal inscription, with installations each spring and fall.
“Within this special space we are fortunate to commemorate amazing people and the legacies which shape the greatness of Buffalo,” said Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “Many at Siegel Landing have been honored here, and today we celebrate JoAnn Falletta among others. It is in these moments of history and acknowledgement when our collective future looks the brightest, as generations from now will benefit from these outstanding contributions memorialized in this distinctive landscape.”
Full details on The Siegel Landing can be found at www.bfloparks.org/buyapaver.
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About the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is the first nonprofit organization in the nation, through a unique public-private partnership, to manage and operate an entire urban park system consisting of more than 850 acres of beautifully designed historic parks, parkways and circles. The Conservancy is an independent not-for-profit, community organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance, and maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks and parkways in the Greater Buffalo area for current and future generations. Since 2004 the Conservancy has held responsibility for the management and care of these nationally registered historic green spaces, and in 2019 the Conservancy and City signed a new 12-year partnership agreement with an approved update to its five-year plan for the Olmsted parks in continuing to assist the City in bringing recognition to its collective renaissance. Designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted more than 150 years ago, these 25 iconic connective spaces represent the nation’s first urban park system. More than 2.5 million visits occur in Buffalo’s Olmsted Park system annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. Most recently, the American Planning Association recognized Delaware Park as one of the 2014 Great Places in America, The Guardian publication named Buffalo’s Olmsted park system as one of the best park systems in the world, and in 2018 the Conservancy set a Guinness World Record in historic Bidwell Parkway. www.bfloparks.org
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia, Delaware, Front, Martin Luther King, Jr., Riverside, and South parks
Seven parkways: Bidwell, Chapin, Lincoln, McKinley, Porter, Red Jacket, and Richmond
Eight landscaped traffic circles: Agassiz, Colonial, Ferry, Gates, McClellan, McKinley, Soldiers, and Symphony
About the Siegel Landing
The Siegel Landing restoration was conceived by Herb Siegel, an attorney and philanthropist who founded and served as managing partner of the former Siegel Kelleher & Kahn LLP. Herb and the Siegel Family are longtime supporters of the Conservancy. Herb served on the board from 2004 to 2007 and his son, Aaron, is a current board member. In honor of their love of Hoyt Lake and provide a peaceful space for all to enjoy, the Siegel Family created the Siegel Landing, complete with a $300,000 endowment to ensure future care and maintenance. The significance of the Siegel Landing marks the historic bandstand and boat launch for Gala Water, making the restoration of the Siegel Landing pavers a positive step in preserving Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks. Located at the Western Shore of Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park, Siegel Landing is 20-feet-by40 feet of sitting area highlighted by two benches and a rectangular base of pavers. The 1,000 stones surrounding the area are available for purchase and inscription by other donors to support the space.
