Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center presents its annual Summer Kickoff Cocktail Party on Friday, June 26. The event will be held again this year at the historic Mulford Farm in East Hampton from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
This year, in recognition of the community the center serves, tickets are available across a range of prices, including a Pay-What-You-Can option.
Joan Overlock, Director of Development, explained, “In the spirit of community and affordability, we wanted to try something new. Our host committee, comprised of parents, past and present, really pushed for inclusivity for this year’s benefit with special pricing to include alumni parent ticketing.”
“Some of my strongest bonds with other parents were formed when my kids were really little and attending the Eleanor Whitmore Center. We want to provide a way to keep those connections strong among our young families,” shared Annabella Salas, member of the Host Committee and a Board Member.
The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center is dedicated to ensuring every child has the opportunity for a strong start. Proceeds from ticket sales will support the Center’s mission to provide affordable childcare and high-quality early education to families across the community.
Mark Butler, Board Co-Chair, shared, “The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center is a cornerstone of our community, empowering working families with access to high-quality, all-day, year-round childcare and early education. Thanks to generous donors, fees remain among the lowest on Long Island.”
The Summer Kickoff Cocktail Party will celebrate the impact of this vital work and the supporters who help sustain it. Included in the evening is the presentation of The Eleanor Prize, an award established by the Center in 2024 to honor and preserve Eleanor Whitmore’s legacy. The Eleanor Prize is presented to those who have made a meaningful difference both in the lives of children and in supporting working families throughout the East End.
This year, the Eleanor Prize will honor its recipient, Ruth Ann McSpadden. Ruth Ann’s vision and leadership were critical to the Center and the community it serves. Ruth Ann’s leadership, compassion, and innovative thinking were instrumental to both the Center and the wider community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Her deep understanding of the challenges facing year-round working families, coupled with her unwavering belief in the transformative power of early education and affordable childcare, make her a fitting recipient of this year’s Eleanor Prize. Ruth Ann currently serves as a Board Member of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center and previously served as Board Chair for eight years.
“Ruth Ann has given and continues to give so much to our community. She shares Eleanor Whitmore’s vision of affordable childcare for all, and her leadership has proven that we can come together in a time of need and emerge stronger for it,” shared Director Tim Frazier.
“Children have the power to change the world when they are given the tools to build a happy, healthy, and productive life. The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center provides their students with all the tools and skills they need, delivered with an extra dose of love, joy, and humor that is central to the mission of the center. If we as adults want to change the world, there is no better way than helping the youngest members of our community off to a strong and steady start,” said Ruth Ann McSpadden.
The evening will feature hors d’oeuvres by East Hampton Kitchen, wines from Wölffer Estate, live bluegrass, folk, and old-time music by Wild Magnolias, and a silent auction, offering guests a festive opportunity to support early childhood education while kicking off the summer season.
The Summer Benefit Host Committee includes Antony Cestra and Hannah Overlock Cestra, Sarah and Alex Diacre, Libby Kane, Annabella Salas, Blake Sterling, Julie Snow, Mariah Whitmore, and Nikki and Matias Whitmore.
For tickets, visit eleanorwhitmoreearlychildhood.betterworld.org.