Going green was the theme of the American Ireland Fund 2010 Pittsburgh Dinner Gala, but this year it wasn't a reference to all things Irish. The dinner Thursday in the East Club Lounge of Heinz Field honored David Shapira, chairman and CEO of Giant Eagle, and the grocery chain's efforts under his leadership to become environmentally responsible. For example, energy-efficient white roofing is now standard on all new stores. Mr. Shapira (with his wife, Cindy) was also recognized for his contributions to the community, and many of the 625 guests were there because of his involvement in numerous organizations.

Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney and his wife, Pat, came in from Dublin ("It's colder than I thought!") for the event, which benefits humanitarian programs in Ireland through the fund Mr. Rooney co-founded. He presented the award with Jim Rohr, chairman and CEO of PNC, with welcome remarks from dinner chair David Malone, president of Gateway Financial; American Ireland Fund CEO Kieran McLoughlin; and Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II. By evening's end, the pot of gold held more than $800,000. That generosity was repaid by Mr. Shapira -- departing guests were encouraged to help themselves to flowers, fresh-baked breads, organic vegetables and others offerings from the Market District stands that decorated the reception areas and cleverly served hors d'oeuvres during the cocktail hour.

Mackenzie Carpenter's video program, "Omnivore," is available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.