by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
It wasn't the circus under the big top this weekend when a
gargantuan white tent sprung up on the National Mall, instead it was
friends and supporters of the L'Enfant Society gathering together for
the fourth annual Ball on the Mall.
The annual event hosted throngs of people, all clad in their finest formal wear to raise money and awareness for the Trust for the National Mall.
The Trust for the National Mall is the official
non-profit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring
and improving the National Mall, so no better place to celebrate than on
the very grass it is working to protect.
Guests joined an elegant dinner reception before the the dancing began and flocked to the sides of the tent looking for a view of the year's largest full moon rising behind the Capitol dome.
Fundraising efforts for the event drew more than $2
million slated to go to restoration efforts for the Mall and included a
luncheon with former First Lady Laura Bush who is serving as the
honorary chair for the Trust over the next five years.
Passers-by
stopped in their tracks at the site of chambered tent sitting in the
shadow of the Washington Monument. The event was a perfect way to spend a
warm spring evening, and even though the clouds may have hid the moon,
nobody had to look far for other entertainment. Music filled the air and
guests were NOT shy about taking the the dancefloor to celebrate
"America's front yard".
