A joyous sound will fill the air on July 30th from a tent in Bridgehampton. The Center’s Jazz Soul Celebration will be hosted by Don Lemon and have dancing to the Earth Wind & Fire Tribute Band and Jazz by local saxophonist John Ludlow Duo. They have so very much to celebrate this year!
The Center not only survived the Pandemic but thrived! Their beautiful new building will allow everyone to welcome more community children to their After-School programs and better house their activities for older children like their Chess and Scrabble Clubs. There will be a dedicated room for their computer lab to give their kids the tools for tomorrow, art and dance studios with state-of-the-art equipment, a dedicated space for their S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) classes and popular College prep, SAT course which, in seven years, has sent 30 of their children to 4-year colleges, many the first in their families.
There will also be ample space for their exciting work force strategy, Teach Me How to Fish, for those between 18 and 45. Of their first nine graduates, four are working full-time, one at Linked-In, another at FDM Consultants. The other five, along with a Syracuse graduate, started full-time, paid internships in June with Soter Technologies, which will hopefully lead to high-paying jobs and a career. We are thrilled.
They also made powerful impacts on the community during COVID. Because of the generous community, they were able to provide emergency financial assistance during the lockdown to the families who lost their jobs. They tackled Food Insecurity and supplied fresh produce and supplies to literally hundreds of families a week from their food pantry. They still do. They also now have an in-house Social Worker to help their community families and a Substance Misuse & Community Outreach Advocate.
So, this year, they celebrate! And joyously. Music has been an integral part of The Center for decades – Jazz@Jennings, Jazz for Jennings, Jazz for The Center, Gospel – and now the Jazz Soul Celebration, starring the talented Earth, Wind and Fire Tribute Band of Washington, DC and its repertoire of smooth dance music from the 50s to today’s hits. It’s definitely going to be a joyous time! So put on your dancing shoes (our tent has a dance floor) and let’s celebrate! They are very excited and hope you are, too.
“Please share our joy by supporting this year’s benefit in any way you can. Help spread the work. There are so many reasons to keep The Center thriving. WE ARE CHANGING LIVES- one child, one family, one adult at a time.” Bonnie Cannon , ED BHCCRC
Hosted by Don Lemon. There will be food by Hamptons Aristocrat, wine by Wolffer, beer from Montauk Brewing and a specialty drink from Sagaponack Distilleries.
For more info, visit www.bhccrc.org
