The Ellen Hermanson Foundation will host a gala fundraising event, Back in Black, on Saturday, August 28, from 6:30 to 10 PM, outside at Hampton Racquet in East Hampton. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Ellen’s Well support programs.
The Foundation will honor Tovah Feldshuh, Broadway actress, singer, and playwright and John Graham, Executive Director of Hampton Racquet for their extraordinary commitment to the East End.
The event will feature entertainment and dancing by The Lynn Blue Band and cuisine prepared by Lan Cao, the owner and executive chef of V Cafe in New York City. Jean Shafiroff, noted philanthropist, is the Gala Chair, along with the Host Committee which includes The Ellen Hermanson Board of Directors, The Executive Director, and Friends of the Foundation. Robert Altmann will be the Master of Ceremonies for the live auction.
We caught up with honorees to learn more.
How did you become involved in the Ellen Hermanson Foundation?
Tovah: I became involved with the Ellen Hermanson Foundation through my relationship with the great, honorable, and kind Julie Ratner.
John: I’ve been so fortunate to be associated with The Hermanson Foundation for the past decade. My involvement began after hosting a national charity event for breast cancer that was dedicated to finding a cure. Upon learning how high the levels of occurrence are on Long Island I learned of a local charity that was dedicated to helping those dealing with it as well as support for the families that are effected. We hosted an event at Hampton Racquet every year that aided in bringing awareness as well as much needed funds to the foundation.
Why is supporting the foundation important to you?
John: We felt it vital to help those in our community battling this disease as much as we can. While dedicated to a cure — we felt it even more important to aid those in need as best we could. The dedication to all aspects of dealing with breast cancer that the Hermanson Foundation provides exceeded all our expectations. I am thrilled this year to be able to help háve an event that insures all attending will be outside and safe as we deal with the lingering issues Covid has challenged all of us with. The biggest joy is we will be able to help the Ellen Hermanson Foundation continue to be able to provide the much needed services to those that need it the most.
Tovah: Supporting the foundation is important to me because I don’t think any of us can claim that we haven’t known a victim or survivor of breast cancer. My beloved mother-in-law, Clarice Levy, contracted the disease in her late 60s, beat it, and died of natural causes at 98-years-old. This is the kind of outcome the Ellen Hermanson Foundation pursues. On a personal note, it is important for me to support my dear friend Julie Ratner. She promised her dying sister, Ellen, that she would help bring up Ellen’s beautiful daughter Leora, and she has. She also promised herself she would do something to honor her sister’s untimely death, and so the Ellen Hermanson Foundation was born. Love is strong, hate is strong, trust is fragile; Julie Ratner is a woman of her word and a person willing to dedicate herself to causes greater than herself. This is why I support the foundation she created.
Advanced registration and proof of Covid vaccination or negative Covid test is required to attend. Visit ellenhermanson.org to purchase gala tickets. The Ellen Hermanson Foundation ensures access to state-of-the art breast health care and to empower people affected by cancer. Funds raised at the Back in Black Summer Benefit will underwrite state-of-the-art medical equipment and breast cancer screenings
