This was the big weekend: the opening of Guild Hall's "Student Art Festival 2021: Past-Present-Future." Proud Kindergarten though Grade 12 students from our East End schools exhibited their visions of "our shared past and an imagined future." Most of the artwork was created virtually. The Exhibition Curators include Guild Hall's Casey Dalene and Anthony Madonna. A surprise visitor was Amy Kirwin, who will become Guild Hall's Chief Creative Officer on February 1st.
Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc. (ARF) once again hosted a Pet Food Pantry donation and pick up at the ARF Adoption Center in East Hampton. The next donation and pick up will take place on Saturday, February 20. Donations of unopened bags of cat and dog food (both wet and dry) and treats, as well as cat food is greatly needed.
To provide local children with some holiday cheer, members of Riverhead High School’s student government once again sponsored an Angel Tree project. The project yielded Target gift cards for every child on the Angel Tree list, along with gifts through the generosity of the district’s pupil personnel services department, students and staff, as well as Joe Hartmann and the Riverhead Fire Department, who donated items and surprised the receiving families with deliveries via a fire truck complete with Santa.
KiDS NEED MoRE, a Long Island-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of children, families, and young adults coping with cancer and life threatening illnesses, hosted their 6th Annual HoLiDAY CHEER BUS ELF RiDE. Buses packed with toy-delivering elves traveled to homes all over Long Island to make wishes come true for over 400 families coping with cancer and serious illness.
Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc. (ARF) both collected pet food donations, as well as distributed pet food to those in need – just in time for the holidays - on Saturday. Donations of unopened bags of cat and dog food (both wet and dry) and treats are needed.
Local pilot and flight instructor Charles Caravan and Brian LaBelle, an East Hampton Police Officer and pilot in the process of being recertified, flew to Camden, South Carolina to meet Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons' (ARF) rescue partner to pick up 15 puppies, who arrived at the East Hampton Airport on Friday evening. After being medically cleared by ARF veterinarians, they will be put up for adoption. LaBelle not only offered his plane for the rescue transport, but he also offered to cover all expenses.
Prior to winter break, Pierson Middle Schoolers took part in "winter wars" - which included themed activities, including athletic challenges and trivia games. The students also learned about empathy while penning letters to people struggling during the pandemic and holiday season.
The Montauk Fire Department followed pandemic guidelines on Sunday at the Firehouse, as this year's (free) Holiday Dinner for Seniors was "Grab 'n Go" from the safety of your car. Complete traditional Holiday meals, from squash soup to apple pie, were individually bagged and ready for hand off. Home delivery was also available for anyone who couldn't make it.
The Harrison and Shelby Memorial Fund was created in 2018 by the Central Indiana Tennis Foundation to honor "the short lived yet impactful lives of the the two teens who were so special to many". On Saturday evening their mother, and Tennis Professional, Stephanie Reece and Stephanie's Aunt, East Hampton's Dale Ellen Leff, held a charity fundraiser at Jennifer Miller Jewelry of East Hampton's "Shopping Cove", 55 Main Street.
It worked out perfectly... exactly 500 pies. Thanks to the tireless culinary efforts of six local bakers and to The Hedges Inn for providing the kitchen, 300 East Hampton families and 200 Springs families each found a fresh, homemade pumpkin pie among their food pantry goods this week. Supporting the effort were the East Hampton Village PBA, East Hampton Village Fire Department, East Hampton Village Ambulance, East Hampton Village Police Department and East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen's office.