The 15th Annual Hamptons Happening to Benefit SWCRF

Photos by: Patrick McMullen / Rob Rich 

The 15th Annual Hamptons Happening to benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation occurred on July 13, 2019 in Bridgehampton, NY at the estate of Maria & Ken Fishel. 

As the Development Manager for SWCRF, this chef-tasting cocktail fundraiser is one of my main responsibilities and after a full 12 months of planning, working with 27 different chefs and restaurants, 13 different liquor/beverage sponsors, 42 in-kind & auction donors, this year it was even bigger and better than in the past. We had about 300 attendees and raised a record-breaking $450,000 for cancer research. This year we honored celebrity chef and Emmy-Awarding Winning cooking show host Lidia Bastianich and generations of the Bastianich family; Ian Duke, legendary owner of five restaurants in Southampton and New York City including Southampton Social Club and Union Cantina; business honoree, Antonella Bertello, real estate entrepreneur and owner of the historic The Baker House 1650 boutique hotel in East Hampton; and iconic womenswear designer Nicole Miller as fashion honoree.

Our attendees enjoyed more than three dozen food, wine and spirit tastings representing some of the favorite five-star culinary destinations around the world including Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.  Dessert stations sweetened the night with favorites such as Baked by Melissa hand-crafted mini cupcakes, Kurly Kürtősh chimney cakes (my personal favorite), and Nutella, which served its famous hazelnut cocoa spread over freshly baked banana bread and topped in hazelnuts.

One of my favorite parts of my job is working with these chefs and restaurants from both New York City & The Hamptons to work together and pull off an amazing fundraiser that  makes a difference for cancer research. 

Learn more about the event here and check out the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation: http://waxmancancer.org/hamptons