Riveting Recording Artist Roberta Flack Performs At The Ninth Annual Live @Club Starlight Benefit for the Ross School and Hampton Bay Residents Enjoy HBBA Garden Party and Cowfish Restaurant
The annual Live @Club Starlight Benefit in the traditional way brings awareness and raises funds for the Steven J. Ross Scholarship Fund. This program enables forty-five percent of the student body to receive welcome financial assistance. Ross School supporters gathered to celebrate twenty years of hard work and to honor Founder Courtney Sale Ross at this year's event. The evening included a cocktail reception, a lavish dinner, live auction, silent auction, and musical performances by Grammy Award Winning Songstress Roberta Flack.
Ms. Ross has internationally been hailed as one of the greatest singers of our time. Ms. Flack remains unparalleled in her ability to reach her audience through storytelling in her songs. From her very first recording, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," reaching No 1 across the charts in the United States, Roberta has created strong emotional bonds with her audience. Ms. Flack's career has spanned more than four decades. Her musical contributions include show stopping tunes as "Where is the Love" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song." Recently Ms. Flack was celebrated by VH-1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll." Ms. Flack's passion for music and deep love of entertaining her audiences is simply explained in her own words by revealing, "I think music is such a powerful means of expressing what the world needs now and that's understanding between individuals, between races and between countries. I think music has the potential for being the answer to all those deep questions we ask ourselves as human beings." The Ross school was founded in 1991 by Courtney and Steven J. Ross and incorporates innovative models to prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The academy serves 500 students of diverse geographic, academic, economic, social and ethnic backgrounds from pre-nursery through grade twelve. The boarding program ensures interaction, cultural exchange and international dialogue integral to the Ross learning experience. With innovation in education as her singular focus, Courtney Sale Ross has been a leader in the field for two decades. Both her and her husband Steven J. Ross, Co-Chairman of Time Warner, Inc. founded the Ross School in East Hampton, New York. This year the school celebrates their 20th anniversary. I had a chance to chat with Fashion Designer Donna Karan who has supported the Ross School from the very beginning. "I think what is so beautiful about the school it really believes in every philosophy of Urban Zen which is the mind, body and spirit. It takes it all together; it is not just about writing, reading and arithmetic. From Yoga programs to spiritual, to traveling to awareness it really completely completes the child and prepares them for living in the 21st century. For more information about the Ross School please visit www.ross.org. This year Hampton Bays Beautification Association honored Hampton Bay entrepreneurs on Saturday, June 2nd at their annual garden party at the newly opened Cowfish restaurant.
Hampton Bay residents Joe Smeraldo, Michael Brausch and Vincent Allegretta were all awarded for beautifying the community of Hampton Bays. Susan von Freddi, president of the association revealed each honoree went way beyond to assist the association's ongoing mission to make Hampton Bays a special place to live and work. "These are exceptional volunteers who really love their community," said von Freddi. "We are very fortunate to have these volunteers helping Hampton Bays." Hampton Bays Beautification celebrated twenty-seven glorious years with three Honorees, Joe Smeraldi, owner of Peconic Bay Fence with the Business Beautification Award for cleaning up the site of his new business, Community Appreciation Award 1 received by Michael Brausch and Community Appreciation Award 2 went to Vincent and Tina Allegretta of V. Allegretta Electric. "He did something extra special," revealed von Freddi. "He took a really unattractive building and really landscaped it and made it attractive." President Susan von Freddi stated "Mr. Smeraldo also donated the white fence for the Hampton Bays Post Office." Mr. Smeraldi was humbled by the award and thanked his landlord, Tom Hennington, owner of S&P Carting for assisting him in the tremendous job of cleaning up the property previously owned by an asphalt business. "There was not a blade of grass in sight when I took it over," revealed Smeraldi at the event. Hampton Bays resident Mr. Michael Brausch was honored with the association's Community Appreciation Award for repairing important signs in the town of Hampton Bays. "He reached out to us," revealed President Susan von Freddi. Ms. von Freddi revealed that the association was set on repairing the fences when Mr. Brausch volunteered his services saving HBBA thousands of dollars in revenue. "I want to do the best I can for my little town," Mr. Brausch stated who is an employee of Southampton's Parks and Recreation Department. I also had a chance to chat with Vincent and Tina Allegretta of V. Allegretta Electric. who provided electrical repair services for the Hampton Bays Community. His main focus was installing holiday lights on shrubs and trees in Hampton Bays during the Holiday Season.
Cognac Wellerlane E-mail This Page | Follow Us | Return to My Column This article is an opinion piece which reflects the views of its author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the site itself, or the owners of Long Island Exchange.
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