September 18th is the day after a year off the water - I will be back to take on the 15th Annual Block Island Challenge,  a 20 mile open-ocean paddle from Montauk Point to Block Island Harbor.  (Peak hurricane season, what can go wrong?) 

My East End community was already a place with a unique economic landscape but the pandemic has turned the wealth gap in the Hamptons into a chasm. The challenges to mental health for kids and their families have never been greater. From the hits to the hospitality industry upon which most locals rely for income, to the lack of in-person learning and structured support for kids and teens to the loss of the year-round rental market which has impacted me personally as well - it has never been a more difficult landscape to navigate. 

The programs that we support stepped up to the plate in the pandemic - The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childcare Center opened its door to ANY aged child of front-line workers and essential personnel for absolutely no charge. The food pantries worked overtime to combat food insecurity. And all of the other fantastic programs we support are now in full gear as the peices come back together - Project Most, i-tri, Family Service League, The Retreat, Springs School District, the Bridgehampton School, John Marshall Elementary and East Hampton High, and we have an awesome opportunity now to stand up and help. 

My goal is to raise AT LEAST $3,000 to continue the outstanding work of these community organizations. I truly believe that investing in children and teens, and addressing mental health with the same gravitas as physical health, is the best way to break the negative cycles of intolerance, addiction, violence and depression that has plagued our country. 

All donations make a difference.
with grace and gratitude,
Emily