Judith M. Kasen-Windsor will host the annual Edie’s Backyard BBQ from 1 to 4 PM on Saturday, May 28, to benefit the Edie Windsor Healthcare Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The barbecue will be held at a private residence in Southampton.
Notable guests will include New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, author, philanthropist and Southampton Hospital Association Trustee Jean Shafiroff, fashion influencer and CEO of The Phluid Project Rob Smith, celebrity florist and event stylist Mark Masone and celebrity facialist Thuyen Nguyen. Entertainer Virginia Falls will make a guest appearance and DJ Holly will provide the music.
“We are proud to benefit The Edie Windsor Healthcare Center located in The Atrium in Hampton Bays,” said Judith M. Kasen-Windsor. “Our Memorial Day barbecue continues the legacy of Edie’s advocacy by helping to raise funds in support of the Center’s mission of administering to the healthcare needs of all members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as continuing to educate and provide HIV prevention and care.”
“The Edie Windsor Healthcare Center, which opened in 2021 is the only healthcare facility in Suffolk County providing specialized, compassionate primary care medicine to the LGBTQ+ community,” said Bob Chaloner, Chief Administrative Officer of the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “There are higher rates of serious disease, mental illness, and mortality among this community due to lack of access to expert care. The center is also the gateway to all LGBTQ+ specialists available at Stony Brook University Hospital; together we can ensure that all our patient’s needs are met.
‘This new, expanded center builds on the legacy of being the first and only clinic to diagnose and treat HIV patients on the East End, which we will continue to do.”
All proceeds raised at this event will be directed to the center’s Emergency Fund, which supports the underserved and underinsured communities. It will provide assistance with items such as personal care supplies, nutrition, transportation, counseling, and other support services.
Edie Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the 2013 Supreme Court of the United States case United States v. Windsor, which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and was considered a landmark legal victory for the same-sex marriage movement in the United States. Edie was a prominent civil rights campaigner and a part-time Southampton resident until she died in 2017.
Tickets start at $125. For more information or to purchase tickets call 631-726-8700, email margaret.grioli@stonybrookmedicine.edu or visit www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu.