Photo by MarkBolles.com
Alice Corey Photography
By Carrie Rowlands Johnson
Michele Riggi A Heart For The Arts & Charity
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ccording to the fairy tales, every proper princess is seen wearing her crown from time to time. In real life Saratoga, our most famous and most elegantly appointed princess dusts off her own crown for very special occasions, such as when she plays dress up to satisfy the whims of children (and children at heart) during her annual Halloween extravaganza.
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The rest of the year, Michele Riggi tucks away her crown, preferring to don one of the many hats she has accumulated through her generous affiliation with any number of local charities, paired with a designer outfit, of course. She has carved out a niche as not only a local socialite celebrity, but as one of the area’s greatest philanthropists, attending more than one hundred charity galas a year. Animals, dance, the arts— Riggi tends to focus her attention on causes that interest her most. A dancer throughout her
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Michele hasn’t always dripped in jewels and Louboutin, with enough discretionary cash to toss toward charities and galas and Cinderella-worthy balls. She grew up in the small, modest, Fulton County town of Broadalbin.
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childhood, she supports both The New York City Ballet and The National Museum of Dance in Saratoga, where she currently serves as board president. A recent addition is The Mr. And Mrs. Ronald A Riggi Theatre, which Riggi says will honor dancers in film and serve as a black-box theater for opera, acting classes, and performances. The Riggis have also been known to give generously to such Saratoga landmarks as The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Hospital and The Saratoga County YMCA. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com