In September, the organizers of The Elegance at Hershey announced that they would not hold the prestigious concours in 2020. While leaving the door open for future iterations of the event, it is unclear whether the concours will return to the annual calendar. Below is the official announcement from the organizers.
Dear Sponsors, Donors, Judges, Exhibitors, Volunteers, and Past Supporters of The Elegance at Hershey,
Over ten years ago, I proposed to my father, Jack Rich, our founder, that we should create a concours to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and was adamantly told that it was a terrible idea. Without my knowledge, my father began to organize and create a board to run just such an event. To those of you who knew my dad this does not surprise you!
Nine years later we have created one of the finest concours in the country. Most importantly, we have donated well over $1,000,000 to our charities. From day one, we have been guided by the principle that if we could not make a substantial difference to our charities that there would be no reason to exist. The friendships, camaraderie, challenges and successes we have experienced has made this board of the Elegance one of the finest groups that I have ever worked with. However, in saying that, the board and I have decided to take a hiatus in 2020 but we will keep you informed as to any potential future plans. The entire board and I want to thank you for your loyalty and support to our charities and our event. Without you, this success would not have been possible.
We hope we have made a difference, provided you with a lot of enjoyment and proved to the world that big is not always better. With a great deal of sadness we are sending this out but wishing all of you all the very best in the world and hope that our paths will cross once again in the future.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Rich, Chairman
On behalf of The Board of Directors of the Elegance at HersheyAdam Eisenhauer Mark Lizewskie Phil Fleck
Steve Moskowitz Joannie RichBill Rothermel
Paul Sable
Holly Simpson
Melissa Rau, Executive Director
