Never underestimate the power of a child and a dream! Kate Farrell founded Kate Kares in 2013 at just nine-years-old. She wanted to put her lemonade stand money to good use, especially in her very own community. In the early days, donations went towards Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons and the Southampton Animal Shelter. Overtime the fundraising also benefited the building and support of schools across the Caribbean. If you think that’s impressive, Kate has continued to grow her impact.
Kate now developed philanthropic relations with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and the Heart of the Hamptons (HOH), a Southampton-based nonprofit whose services include a food pantry, clothing room, and general assistance programs. This summer, Kate has partnered with the notable shoe designer Tamara Mellon, co-founder of Jimmy Choo, to support the HOH food pantry. Through this partnership, 30 meals will be donated per every pair of shoes sold. Back in January, HOH provided 7,331 meals throughout the entire month. As a result of the pandemic, the number of community members HOH is assisting has dramatically increased. On July 29th and July 31st alone, the non-profit served 128 families and 5,018 meals worth of food. It is estimated that Kate’s collaboration with Tamara Mellon will help to serve for 40 weeks or more.
“I was introduced to Tamara Mellon through a friend in the Hamptons and knew that she was looking for a charitable organization to partner with/to assist the local community,” Kate recalled. “To be able to bring her amazing team, her talent and her fundraising interest alongside Kate Kares has really been a special moment for both me and for our beneficiaries.”
If you’re driving through the Hamptons you may have seen a mobile shoe closet which will be stationed throughout the East End for the rest of the summer. Now you can book a time a try on shoes in real life!
To learn more about the Kate Kares and Tamara Mellon collaboration, visit www.tamaramellon.com. To learn more about Kate Kares, visit www.katekaresfoundation.com