Early this morning, Parks and Recreation’s Aziz Ansari put on his best Tom Haverford face and did something hilarious — he became Central Park’s “Ambassador of Spring.” What does this excellent title entail, you ask? Well, the almighty Ambassador is the first person to hop on a lawn mower and mow Sheep Meadow after it’s been closed for the winter season. This “First Mow” ceremony was introduced by Central Park Conservancy President, Doug Blonsky, and the NYC Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Adrian Benepe. The former has a stellar mustache and the latter kept referring to Aziz as “Tom” whilst cracking jokes about his days as a park ranger, so we’re pretty sure that, with these two fellows combined, our endless search for New York’s very own Ron Swanson can finally end. We salute you, Mr. Blonsky and Mr. Benepe! Click through to check out our exclusive photos of Aziz Ansari becoming your “Ambassador of Spring,” being all-around awesome on a lawn mower, and actually doing Tom Haverford’s job, for once.
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Doug Blonsky, Central Park Conservancy President. Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Adrian Benepe, NYC Parks and Recreation Commissioner. Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis
Photo credit: Jennifer Lewis