This Saturday, June 25th, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center will be hosting a party commemorating its 50 plus years of childcare and early learning for working families. The party will be held from 5:30 to 10:30 PM at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center.
The party’s theme “Get Groovy”, is based on 1969, the year of its founding. Guests are encouraged to dress up from the period. DJ, Chris Liggio, will be playing great dance music from that era. There will be an array of vintage cars and a quick look back at life in East Hampton, circa 1969.
The Center will be honoring their namesake, Eleanor Whitmore, for her vision, leadership and commitment to working families.
“I’ve always felt that we owe a huge debt to our hard-working local families. The Center recognizes the need for parents and families working in our community to have access to affordable childcare. I am proud to have my name on an organization that serves East Hampton on such a fundamental level and to work alongside the wonderful teachers and staff who share our community values.” – Eleanor Whitmore
The Center began in 1969 as a Head Start Program of the East Hampton Organization for Community Action. In 1976 we officially became the East Hampton Daycare Center. Eleanor Whitmore joined the board of directors in the 1980’s and shifted focus to emphasize high quality early education. In the early 90’s, under Eleanor’s leadership, funds were raised to build a permanent home for the Center on Gingerbread Lane. In 2013, the Center was renamed the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center in her honor. Today, we are a nationally recognized Center of excellence in early childhood development. More than 100 children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years old attend the year-round program.
The Center remains committed to supporting working families. More than 60% of Center families live in low/extremely low-income households. In 2020, EWECC remained open during the pandemic to provide free childcare for Essential Workers and opened a Pop-Up Food Pantry serving 50 families weekly. The Food Pantry continues to this day.
Proceeds from the event help the Center maintain fees that are affordable. EWECC fees are among the lowest in the county. Private fundraising makes that possible.
For tickets or more information, visit: https://www.ewecc.org/party-like-its-1969
Or call: Joan Overlock at 631-324-5560
