Urban Zen and Tutto il Giorno are joining forces with The SHED Workspace to present Festa al Camino, a fundraising dinner at the Sag Harbor Tutto il Giorno location on Thursday, February 7 in support of Keep Sag Harbor Warm.
“We took over this property wanting to open our doors to the community. Having my children at the Sag Harbor schools and growing up here my whole life, the community has always been very important to me,” Gabby Karan De Felice, Tutto il Giorno owner, told Hamptons.com. “When we opened our doors in July, to this new location, we embraced multiple causes that are close to our hearts. We did the fundraiser for ARF when we opened up, and we did a fundraiser for OCEANA, which is another local organization. So this dinner that we’re hosting with The SHED, it was just a wonderful way that we can make a difference and help others.”
Keep Sag Harbor Warm is a new initiative spearheaded by the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, who at the moment aids approximately 75 families that reside within the Sag Harbor School District. When the winter weather sets in, many of these families have trouble paying for heating oil – with one hundred gallons of heating oil costing around $400. Keep Sag Harbor Warm will focus on ensuring that families with school-aged children – who already receive food assistance – can now also receive heating oil assistance – if needed.
“One of the reasons for opening up our new location in Sag Harbor was that we wanted to be able to open up our place to bring likeminded individuals and organizations together to create conscious conversation dinners and gatherings that can make a difference in the community,” Karan De Felice shared. “We have this beautiful place, so it’s a pleasure to do that.”
Proceeds from Festa al Camino – which means Feast by the Fireplace in Italian – will support the new initiative. Urban Zen will also donate a portion of sales to the cause.
“The SHED has spearheaded this and it’s been a wonderful partnership,” she noted.
The dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., will include a three-course, family-style dinner with wine, and a focus on community. The fête will also feature live music, auctions, and raffles.
“I started the restaurant 15 years ago and we’ve done multiple different local community related events – this being a new location [in Sag Harbor]. But, we’ve done a bunch of events for local charities and fundraisers,” Karan De Felice reflected. “I love to be able to do that. I enjoy opening our home, which Tutto is an extension of our home, to really collaborate, connect, and put people together, and how we can all be likeminded and help others.”
Growing up Karan De Felice was inspired by her mom, Donna Karan’s, altruistic efforts. “My mother’s always been in the philanthropic world. She started Super Saturday out here, and is involved with amfAR, and multiple different organizations – she’s been doing it for over 20 years,” Karan De Felice noted. “I think for us to have a restaurant that can do the same likeminded things, it’s very important to do that and it makes you feel good.”
For those that haven’t purchased a ticket yet, you’ll have to wait until the next fundraiser as Festa al Camino is sold out, but you can still support the cause with a donation to the Food Pantry. “It’s amazing how many people are out here that live out here year-round and have the same agenda – to make a difference,” Karan De Felice said. “We’re excited by it. I think it’s going to be a great response.”
Karan De Felice says the restaurant has several other exciting upcoming events. “We have a whole line of benefits all yearlong. I’m hoping once a month and I hope we can do another one of these and fill the restaurant with 200 people that can make a difference for this [Keep Sag Harbor Warm],” she concluded. “I’m happy that we sold out and feel like we need to do another. We have a lot of stuff on the radar.”
Tutto il Giorno is located at 16 Main Street in Sag Harbor. For more information about the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, visit sagharborfoodpantry.com. For more information about Tutto il Giorno, visit tuttoilgiorno.com.