Hamptonites Become At-Home Hosts For SBSH's Annual Summer Party

With normal life still on pause, what choice is there but to get creative?

Still in the midst of the global pandemic, this year's Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Annual Summer Party was more important than ever before. And so the oldest and longest-running Hamptons fundraiser reinvented itself as a series of small, satellite parties, enabling donors to enjoy the annual event while still adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Joey Wölffer, Donna Karan, Gabby de Felice, Jean Shafiroff and over 400 other Hamptonites gathered Saturday night to raise over $700,000 for SBSH and honor the hospital's hardworking employees. Patrons were encouraged to host up to 10 guests at their home, making for an event spread out over 37 mini 'Galas in Your Garden.'

SBSH worked with a laundry list of local businesses to supply hosts with everything necessary for a chic soirée. Wölffer Estate Vineyard provided the wine. Sag Harbor Florists, Kim Jon Designs, and Anchor & Bloom Florists dreamed up beautiful floral bouquets to decorate the tables. And restaurants such as Tutto Il Giorno, Calissa, Stone Creek Inn, and 75 Main delivered nearly 400 meals from Westhampton to East Hampton.

A huge success thanks to all involved, the Summer Party raised over $700,000 for SBSH's Jenny & John Paulson Emergency Department, their future East Hampton Satellite Emergency Department, and their Healthcare Heroes Fund.

For a reminder of just how important SBSH's work is, watch the below video recapping the hospital’s experience of COVID-19 through the eyes of the frontline workers.

[Photo of Joey Wölffer and Max Rohn hosting guests in the backyard of their home in Sag Harbor]