Join us on the National Mall as we celebrate in the lead up to America’s 250th Anniversary coming in 2026
BALL for THE MALL will become AMERICA'S BALL for THE MALL in honor of the Semiquincentennial, the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, celebrating the 50 U.S States and Territories on the "Road to 250."
AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL returns on May 7, 2025, an unforgettable night under the stars and beneath the Washington Monument on the National Mall — the Trust’s marquee, annual fundraising gala supporting and celebrating our work and mission with the National Park Service to restore, preserve and elevate the National Mall for all.
AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL will feature the Trust’s 2025 History, Heroes & Hope Awards and celebrate the National Mall’s history and purpose. Stay tuned for exciting announcements about honorees, presenters and special guests.
History, Heroes & Hope Award
Rosie Rios
Chair America250 U.S. Congressional Commission
Master of Ceremonies
CNN Anchor Pamela Brown
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown
Featured Speaker
David M. Rubenstein
Founder & Co-Chair, The Carlyle Group, President, The Baltimore Orioles
AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL 2025 CO-CHAIRS
GEORGETTE “GIGI” DIXON
STACY KERR
CR WOOTERS
KATIE ZIRKELBACH
ROBBY ZIRKELBACH
AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL 2025 Host Committee
TIZZY BROWN
Miller Strategies, LLC
RACHEL CAGGIANO
Ogilvy
JOHN CHRISTMAS
HPS Investment Partners
ANTHONY COLEY
Corner Office Strategies
MARK & KRISTIN DAMATO
JOHN DREW
TCMA
KATHLEEN FORD
AARP
NICOLE & ERIC HOPLIN
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW)
BEN JENKINS
Locust Street Group LSG
KATHI & DAN KNISE
EPIC Insurance Brokers
CATHY MERRILL
Washingtonian
JARED OLDROYD
Clark Construction
ANNE PERRON
Temasek
ADAM & RACHEL WEISS
FIO360
JUDEE ANN WILLIAMS
CAA
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To become a sponsor, email us at events@nationalmall.org
About AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL
The BALL showcases our History, Heroes & Hope Award, now in its eleventh year, which recognizes prominent individuals whose significant achievements represent the ideals and spirit behind the National Mall. The 2024 honorees were Dave Grohl, Mellon Foundation, and George C. Wolfe. Past honorees have included Sheila Johnson, Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad, Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III, David M. Rubenstein and José Andrés.
Be a part of this monumental evening that welcomes an array of prominent philanthropists, business leaders, members of Congress, public officials and our generous partners and benefactors for an unforgettable night of celebration in support of the National Mall.
Our 2024 BALL featured speakers included the Honorable Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, former Trust honoree David M. Rubenstein, Vice Chair, Trust Board of Directors and Founder and CEO of Salamander Collection Sheila Johnson, and Emcee Wolf Blitzer, CNN Journalist, Anchor of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL takes place on the National Mall against the extraordinary backdrop of the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol and the sprawling green lawn.
The BALL is the Trust’s signature annual fundraising gala that unites our key supporters to showcase the projects and programs we are delivering on with the National Park Service to restore, preserve and elevate this treasured American space. Our shared mission to ensure a vibrant and engaging National Mall for all takes on new meaning as we approach the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of American Independence in 2026, when the National Mall—America’s Civic Stage—will play center stage for this milestone commemoration.
BECOME A SPONSOR for AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL
Our marquee gala with sponsorship opportunities features a Chairman’s Reception (by invitation only), intimate awards presentation, seated dinner, dessert reception and jazz lounge. Join fellow guests, including Congressional leaders, featured speakers, award honorees, Trust Board of Directors and our generous philanthropic partners, for one unforgettable night.
Support the Trust’s mission and attend this exclusive event. Your gift will help steward the Trust’s work to restore, preserve and enrich America’s Front Yard. Depending on sponsorship level, partners can receive the following benefits and more, fully explained in the Sponsorship Packet:
Premier seating at the event
Invitation to the special Chairman's Reception
Recognition on invitation, website and social media prior to event
Recognition at the event through signage and program
Promotion in Trust partner media, earned media and social media
NEW: Become a Signature State Table Sponsor, your exclusive opportunity to join us for AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL with enhanced benefits, including special recognition, the opportunity to have a leading government policymaker or special guest join your table, and prime table locations for early sponsors.
For more information on AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL…
For questions about AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL, please email events@nationalmall.org.
For corporate partnership opportunities for AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL, please contact Tamra McCraw at tmccraw@nationalmall.org.
For individual sponsorship opportunities for AMERICA’S BALL for THE MALL, please contact Jan Jensen at jjensen@nationalmall.org.
Donations in lieu of attendance (table/seat benefits not provided) are welcomed. Donors will receive recognition commensurate with gift amount.
Donor Advised Funds: Please note that per IRS restrictions and guidelines, event tickets or sponsorships paid through Donor Advised Funds and/or private family foundations are not allowable.
A portion of each sponsorship or ticket purchase supports the vital work of the Trust for the National Mall. The estimated fair market value of goods and services provided is $500 per ticket, and the balance is considered tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
2025 Sponsors
Premier Sponsors
Signature State Table Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Bayer
Capital Group
Clark Construction
EagleBank
Hensel Phelps
Hilton
Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman
Korn Ferry
Linder Global Events
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
Ogilvy
Uber Technologies, Inc.
Silver Sponsors
Akridge
Alpha Corporation
Business Roundtable
The Cigna Group
Consigli Construction
Deloitte
Destination DC
Forbes Tate Partners
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Kathi & Dan Knise/EPIC Insurance Brokers
Lorton Stone, LLC
LSG
Ourisman Automotive of Virginia/Daniel Korengold & Martha Dippell
PCMA
Projection, Inc.
Ruppert Companies
TD Bank
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
VHC Health
Zirkelbach Strategies
BRONZE Sponsors
Sally and John E. “Chip” Akridge III
Will Caggiano
Dr. William J. Catacosinos and Ms. Juliana E. May
Pam and Tony Marquez
Diane & Ned Powell
Ed and Martie Samek
MEDIA Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
Linder Global Events
History, heroes & hope awards 2025 Honoree
Rosie Rios
Chair, America 250 U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
Rosie Rios is the Chair of America 250, the United States Congressional Commission planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. She served as the 43rd Treasurer of the United States and was the CEO of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, including Fort Knox with oversight over 4,000 employees and a $5 billion budget. She also initiated and led the efforts to place a portrait of a woman on U.S. currency for the first time in over a century. Following her eight-year tenure, she was appointed as a Visiting Scholar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University with a focus on Millennials and Post-Millennials and resumed her role as CEO of Red River Associates, an investment management consulting firm and a co-host of several reality series focused on pre-IPO investments. Rosie served twice on the Treasury/Federal Reserve Transition Teams on behalf of President Barack Obama at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 and again during the pandemic economy of 2020 on behalf of President Biden.
AMERICA’S BALL FOR THE MALL 2025 FEATURED SPEAKERS
Pamela Brown
MASTER OF CEREMONIES FOR AMERCA’S BALL for THE MALL 2025, CNN Anchor, Anchor of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown
Pamela Brown is a multi award-winning CNN anchor and chief investigative correspondent, and anchor of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown. As CNN’s chief investigative correspondent, Brown led the network’s investigative team when it exposed decades of coordinated sexual assault cover-ups within the U.S. Coast Guard. The series led to multiple congressional inquiries into the pattern of ignored misconduct, the resignation of a top official and a scathing USCG internal review vowing change. It also earned Brown and her team multiple awards, including the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award, the National Headliner award, and an award from the Center for Integrity in News Reporting for being an “example of impartial, objective and fair news reporting.” Since joining CNN in 2013, Brown has also received Emmy nominations for her work exposing the Coast Guard cover-ups, her reporting on the Pulse nightclub shooting and the Manchester concert attack.
David M. Rubenstein
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, The Carlyle Group, Chairman and CEO, Baltimore Orioles
David M. Rubenstein is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group. He is a 1970 graduate of Duke University and a 1973 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Mr. Rubenstein is a Baltimore native and is the Chairman, CEO, and principal owner of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles. Mr. Rubenstein is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Chairman of many educational and nonprofit boards. He is an original signer of The Giving Pledge and the host of The David Rubenstein Show, Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein, and Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein.
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PAST BALL FOR THE MALL AND HISTORY, HEROES & HOPE AWARD HIGHLIGHTS
ABOUT THE HISTORY, HEROES & HOPE AWARD
The Trust for the National Mall created the History, Heroes & Hope Award in 2014 to honor the spirit and ideals that the National Mall represents for our country. The Award has recognized dedicated public servants, long-time volunteers, and patriotic donors.
The History, Heroes & Hope Award has traditionally been presented during the Trust’s annual BALL for THE MALL spring fundraising gala, with an audience of prominent business leaders, philanthropists, members of Congress and public officials.
Previous recipients of the History, Heroes & Hope Award have included:
2024: Mellon Foundation, accepted by President Elizabeth Alexander, Dave Grohl, 19-time Grammy-winning Musician, Author, Director, George C Wolfe, 3-time Tony-winning playwright, Director, Rustin film
2023: Sheila Johnson, Founder and CEO of Salamander Collection, and Her Excellency Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States
2022: Jon Batiste & Suleika Jaouad, Award-Winning Artists & Activists, and Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and Chief Executive Officer of WETA-TV
2021: Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian, and José Andrés, Chef/Owner of ThinkFoodGroup and Founder of World Central Kitchen
2020: The Honorable Lamar Alexander, Senator (R-TN)
2019: The Honorable Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and the late Congressman John Dingell (D-MI)
2018: Donald Adam and Annemarie Emmet, Volunteers-in-Parks Program Volunteers
2017: David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group
2016: Jonathan Jarvis, Former Director of the National Park Service
2015: John E. “Chip” Akridge III, Founder and Chairman of the Board, Trust for the National Mall
For more details on previous History, Heroes & Hope Awardees, click here.