Christie Brinkley and friends at the 2013 Summer Solstice party (Photo by Tom Kochie)

Join The Ellen Hermanson Foundations’ founding chairs, Emily Levin and Julie Ratner, along with honorary chair Kathryn C. Chenault, for a Champagne reception followed by the annual Summer Solstice celebration on Saturday, June 21st. The champagne reception will be held at the Southampton Hospital and will showcase a tour of The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center, led by the foundation chairs, hosts, and Doctor Edna Kapenhas [Medical Director of the Center].

Ellen’s Run is an annual 5k [3.1 mile] race and serves as the fundraising vehicle for the foundation. An innovative, grassroots event, the Run has gone far toward meeting foundation goals. Held on the East End of Long Island, where breast cancer diagnosis and mortality rates are among the highest in the state, Ellen’s Run draws on the strength of the local community and gives back to the community, in the form of local projects, the bulk of the money raised.

The Ellen Hermanson Foundation was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Ellen Hermanson and carry on the important work to which she devoted so much of her time and energy. An activist and an advocate, Ellen channeled her journalistic talents to become a forceful voice for breast cancer patients and their families. She educated her readers about the importance of early detection, the challenges of living with breast cancer, the very real, but little-discussed or understood, issue of pain management, and the debilitating effects of breast cancer on the entire family.

In 2008, the foundation pledged $500,000 to fund the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital that opened in 2009 transforming the medical landscape of the East End by providing access to state-of-the-art quality care to the local community. The foundation is unique in its commitment to helping breast cancer patients and their families cope with the changing nature of the physical and emotional aspects of o breast cancer by focusing on educational outreach and psychosocial support.

The Summer Solstice celebration will be hosted by Ellen and Chuck Scarborough at their home in Southampton [above] and will honor the work of philanthropist, Jean Shafiroff and President and CEO of Southampton Hospital, Robert Chaloner. A champagne reception will be held between 6pm and 6:45pm followed by light hors d’oeuvres and cocktails between 7pm and 9pm. All ticket sales and donations will support the good work of The Ellen Hermanson Foundation.

The champagne reception will be held for all guests who purchase a ticket to the Summer Solstice event at a value of $750 or above. Tickets start at $175 for juniors under 30 while friends and supporters’ tickets range between $300 and $2,500 for a benefactor ticket. Visit www.ellenswell.com for details. Also, celebrate National Cancer Survivors’ Day
Sunday, June 1,  Click here for more information

**For more information please contact:
Mimi Richman at R. Couri Hay Creative Public Relations at
E: mimi@rcourihaycpr.com T: 212-580-0835