Bergdorf Goodman Honored by Culture For One

Attendees at Culture for One’s annual gala Monday night didn’t just salute Bergdorf Goodman, but they also saw the children, who benefit from the arts-oriented nonprofit, in action.

Supporters at the Edison Ballroom event helped to raise more than $350,000 that will bolster the nonprofit’s arts scholarships, cultural excursions and creative arts workshops for children who are in foster care. The nonprofit helps more than 3,000 students each year. 

Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; Hauser & Wirth’s Manuela Wirth; historian and collector Sandy Schreier; the Shubert Organization’s Robert Wankel; costume designer Molly Maginnis; creative director, designer, advocate and producer Clint Ramos, and Nancy Chilton, who serves on the board, were among the guests. 

Bergdorf Goodman’s chief retail officer Melissa Xides accepted the Inspiration Award from curator Harold Koda, whom many still associate with his former post at The Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. Beforehand, attendees watched performances, including from Taina and Bella from the Harlem School of the Arts, who sang under the direction of their teacher LaTrisa Harper. Later in the program, Arianna and her classmates from Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy sang and danced with guidance from their teacher Mama Shaneeka.

As of the end of last year, there were 6,503 children in 24-hour foster care — two less than in 2023, according to New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Koda, a Culture for One board member, brought attendees up-to-speed about how a 2023 dinner between Chilton and Salt + Ruttner’s cofounder Megan Salt led to Bergdorf Goodman supporting Culture for One as part of its holiday campaign. That “generous gift” proved to be transformative and helped the nonprofit gain greater recognition in the arena of social services, and also made it a go-to organization for meaningful cultural experiences for children in the foster care system, according to Koda. With Bergdorf’s support, Culture for One gained “an unprecedented opportunity to broadcast its mission” and the retailer became directly involved with the nonprofit’s community. 

Through its alliance with Bergdorf Goodman, children that participate in Culture for One programs have attended “Cookies With Santa” events, and youngsters have performed outside of the Fifth Avenue store “sharing their exuberance and joy with hundreds of holiday shoppers,” Koda noted. Bergdorf Goodman-provided funding is now in its third year for Culture for One.

Accepting the award on behalf of Bergdorf Goodman, Xides said, “Despite our building’s luxurious facade, Bergdorf’s is an icon mostly because of the meaningful relationships that we foster with our teams, our customers and our communities. It’s these relationships that make up the fabric of who we are as a brand. Championing the work of Culture for One has been a highlight for so many of us in the organization, grounding us on what’s important and allowing us to play a small role in supporting the great work of the CFO team.”

By making care package deliveries, volunteering and pitching in with bake sale fundraisers have “profoundly bonded us as a team,” Xides said, adding that seeing “the unbridled joy of the children at ‘Breakfast With Santa’ events has been a humble reminder of what really matters.”

Xides added, “Part of the reason that Culture for One has moved us so much is because we are an organization of New Yorkers and stewards of an iconic organization that believe in the boundlessness of culture big or small, high or low to empower, to uplift and to inspire. We also believe that the future of our city relies on the future of our young people, and because of CFO that future gets one step brighter every day.”

As the event wrapped up, Culture for One executive director Susan Kasarsky said, “What we saw tonight was a snapshot of the work that we do every day. And almost every day we get new requests for children wanting to participate. We want to say yes to every single request, every dollar you give tonight helps open a door to a museum, a dance class and a scholarship. So, we ask you to support us throughout the year.”