This weekend, the Embassy of Italy welcomed friends of the Rock Creek Conservancy for its Urban Wild Gala. Rock Creek Conservancy protects the 33-mile Rock Creek waters, parks and lands. They also raise awareness of the creek's threats and how neighboring residents can help. We snapped Tommy Llewellyn, Blue Whale Materials' Robert Kang, NBC4 and the evening's guest speaker Eun Yang, and CMG Constructs' Ken Sugarman.

Local restaurants prepared delicious bite-size plates for the reception, like Equinox's house-made rigatoni with mushrooms, Marcel's smoked salmon potato Napoleon, and Oro's wood-fired margherita pizzas. Here, sponsors Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff, Michael Zalesne and Eliana Jacobson.

Guests also enjoyed sips of Thally's limoncello, The Gin Joint's Italian Malfy gin with lemon thyme tonic, and One Eight Distilling's Rock Creek white whiskey with apple cinnamon simple syrup. Here, Leidos' Mike Molino, Cornerstone Government Affairs' Heather Molino, ABC's Lindsay Angerholzer, CSPC's Max Angerholzer and Diageo's Joe Cannavo.

Everyone participated in the silent auction and bidded on items like a guided nature tour of Rock Creek, an overnight stay at the C&O Canal House and brunch at Rock Creek. Here, Pichon Hollman LLC's Ivory and Karen Cooper, Deb Jung and Green Horse Enterprises' Jane Thery.