School's Out Just In Time For The Hetrick-Martin Event

by Adam Bertrand · June 11, 2009

[Peter Davis, Chris Poore, Mark Silver, Andrew Fry. All photos by Adriel Reboth for PMc]

On Saturday evening, Peter Wilson and Scott Sanderson opened up their immaculate East Hampton estate on Further Lane to host School’s Out – a benefit to raise money for the Hetrick-Martin and celebrate the accomplishments of the 2008-2009 Harvey Milk High School. This year’s co-chairs for School’s Out were Brendan Coolidge Monaghan and O’Brien Kelley. Lots of dapper Dons and sleek Donnas threw on some of their best preppy garb (after all, the lead sponsor was the brand Rugby) to have cocktails and dance on the sprawling grounds of the hosts’ home.

More story and photos below...

At check-in guests were given super cool Rugby Bracelets (as opposed to tacky plastic bracelets like you get in Cancun) that look like a small version of those famed prepster belts, but for your wrist. That was a key attention to detail, of course a suggestion by Brendan Coolidge Monaghan.

Guests included Michael Bastian, Mark Silver, Peter Davis, Timo Weiland, Scott Currie, Kristian LaLiberte, Matthew Kelleher, Robert Fowler, Jared Clark, Suzanne Fuller, Nicky Phelps, Eric Spear, David Traitel, Eric Nicholson, Charles Fagan, Connie-Anne Phillips, T.R. Pescod, Cara Brophybebier, Dan Honan, Nick Leighton, Emerson Barth, Kelly Browning, Justin Belmont, John Finan, Atoosa Rubinstein, Devorah Rose, Jonathon Raiola, Jamie Drake, Lawrence Treglia, Steven Adler, Chris Poore, Andrew Fry, Ron Lenz, Michael Dare and Dean Chapman.

Hetrick-Martin was founded in 1979 by Dr. Emery Hetrick and Damian Martin, two gay advocates who saw a need to protect youth who are LGBTQ, “especially those suffering neglect, abuse and violence because their sexual orientation or gender expression is perceived as “different” (HMI literature). It’s no secret that gay youth have a generally hard time in high school among peers if they are perceived to be gay. Also, it causes large struggles in families - sometimes youth are beaten, abused or even kicked out of the home. Services that HMI provides through the Harvey Milk School allow at risk youth from 12 to 21 to receive an education, job training, safe sex education/counseling, food and sometimes shelter. Services like these allow otherwise marginalized youth become successful and confident young individuals.

Douglas Marshall, Eric Nicholson