The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center hosted their Summer Benefit on Saturday, June 28^th at beautiful Mulford Farm in East Hampton. This year’s theme was “Tiny Feet, Big Futures”, emphasizing the importance of the early years in a child’s development and the lasting impression these experiences have on young children as they grow.

An evening of community, cocktails, and appreciation, the Summer Benefit featured live music from Pete & the Stray Dogs, a Brooklyn-based Americana band, a silent auction with exciting prizes, and delicious hors d’oeuvres and a raw bar from Annie Washburn’s East Hampton Kitchen. Wine and artisanal  cocktails were generously provided by Wolffer Wines and Domaine Franey.

The auction included a wide array of covetable items, from Knicks courtside tickets to a rare opportunity to purchase a magnum of Lafite Rothschild.

East Hampton artist Abigail Vogel created a beautiful mural of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center campus, where guests purchased and placed tiny footprints with their names on the mural to support the center.

A highlight of the evening was the awarding of the Eleanor Prize to Peter Van Scoyoc for his leadership in securing town financial support for the Center, enabling childcare for more families.   As East Hampton Town Supervisor for three terms, Peter also gave the center a platform to help communicate the vital role that affordable childcare plays in our community for businesses and our future.

With family roots that date back to the 1700s in East Hampton, Peter has passion and dedication to his home community. “I am honored to receive the Eleanor Whitmore prize,” Peter said. “Eleanor was so generous in giving of herself to our community and to the Center that bears her name. Her selfless dedication to bettering our children’s future is a beautiful example of the positive way in which each one of us can improve the lives of those with whom we share this place.”

With the community’s support, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center continues to grow and add programming to further their mission of providing high-quality early education and support for working families in our socially and economically diverse community.

About Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center: Founded in 1969, Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center is the only licensed, non-profit childcare center on Eastern Long Island, addressing the critical need for affordable childcare and high-quality early education in a region considered a “childcare desert.” Licensed by New York State Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS) and affiliated with the National Association of Education for Young Children (NAEYC) the center was awarded New York State’s highest honor, the Empire Award, for providing affordable early learning programs year-round to working families for more than 50 years. EWECC is a registered, non-profit 501 (c )(3) organization.

The Center welcomes more than 100 children under the age of five, year-round from 7:30am to 5:30pm. For more information: Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, ewecc.org and follow @EWECC

— by Kim Hopkins

*Photos by John Musnicki, Julee Fish, and Kim Hopkins