Ready to celebrate their community with a special summer fundraiser on Saturday, June 29th, is the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, whose annual benefit was inspired this year by the community as a celebration of nonprofits on the East End.
The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center (EWECC) was founded in 1969 and remains the only licensed, nonprofit childcare center on Eastern Long Island. Focusing on educating and supporting young children from the ages of eighteen months to four years, EWECC believes all children have an internal and external “voice,” and listening to this voice allows them to engage children in the learning process. A welcoming and safe environment has been developed at EWECC that fosters developmental growth and instills young children with the skills needed to move through the world they find themselves in.
Supporting the children of families who live on the East End all year round, the EWECC recognizes that it is these families who allow their villages to remain thriving and safe, playing an integral role in the flourishing environment they live in. Yet, the center addresses the critical demand for affordable childcare and high-quality early education in an area that is not always prioritized, which has been a driving force for the EWECC to continue to provide affordable early learning programs year-round to working families and a motivating factor to continue their fundraising efforts and community support.
While their upcoming benefit is monumental in supporting the EWECC in continuing its great work, the summer fundraiser is also a celebration of those who have helped make the center’s work possible.
According to the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, this year’s benefit has been inspired by the community, with the center leaning into the theme “it takes a village.” The theme is a thank you to everyone who has been part of the community and played a role in enriching the lives of young children with more educational opportunities at no additional costs to families.
Commenting on this year’s benefit, Joan Overlock, Director of Development, stated, “We’re planning to light up the evening with great live music, local fare provided by The Clam Bar, whose owners are parents of kids at the Center, and the warmth and spirit of the East End… This is our most important fundraising event of the year. And all funds raised on June 29th go directly toward helping us keep childcare affordable for working families and our fees among the lowest in Suffolk County,” she adds.
But the benefit will also celebrate other businesses in the community, recognizing Amber Waves Farm, East Hampton Library, Springs Food Pantry, the LVIS Garden Club of East Hampton, and Paddlers for Humanity, all of whom have supported the hands-on learning programs that EWECC is able to offer children.
Executive Director Tim Frazier further expressed his gratitude to these businesses, stating, “We are so thankful for the partnership of these amazing local nonprofits who have enriched the hands-on learning programs for our kids. They truly embody the spirit of ‘It takes our village,’ proving we all have a role to play in nurturing the next generation.”
The benefit will see the introduction of “The Eleanor Prize,” named in honor of Eleanor Whitmore, who believed wholeheartedly in investing in the community. This year’s recipient will embody Eleanor’s commitment and spirit.
