Jim and Barbara (aka “Ba”) Edwards are a husband-wife duo living in East Hampton—and to them, family matters. It has become the focal point in both their lives. They have been part of the East End community for many years, placing value on not just their own family but all the families in the area they call home. With four grandchildren of their own, they have always believed in the power of early childcare and education in shaping the lives of children.
Each year, for the past eight years, they co-chair the Maidstone Scholarship Golf Tournament which benefits the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. The tournament will be held on Wednesday, September 25th this year at Maidstone Club in East Hampton with sign-in beginning at 11:00 a.m.
The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center is an extremely important mission to Jim and Ba.It is a non-profit organization located in East Hampton that addresses the critical need for affordable all-day childcare and high-quality early education in a region that needs it most.
The fundraising efforts on behalf of EWECC are how they are able to keep tuition fees affordable, despite escalating costs of care. The Center provides a high-quality early education curriculum that is both comprehensive and diverse so that children have the best chance at succeeding from the early years on.
Ba began her involvement with the EWECC fifteen years ago as a volunteer when she was invited by a former board member to tour the Center. She says, “At first, I was supposed to just be taking a tour, but I went into a classroom and started talking with a teacher, and the next thing I knew I was reading to the kids! And I just loved it.”
She has worked in child development for decades, a former child development professional with degrees in elementary education and special needs ed. Although she is retired now, she will always strongly support how essential early childhood education is as the foundation of all learning, and this is the mission EWECC strives toward. Ba says, “Early education is the crucial foundation; it is where children learn essential skills and behaviors that help them become successful learners.”
After Ba began as a volunteer at the Center, she became a board member. So, as former board member, she is always involved in events on behalf of EWECC. In the past she has taken on the initiative to improve the outdoor play area with fundraising efforts, and she hosts an annual jewelry show that donates a percentage of proceeds to the Center.
Just one of the several important fundraising efforts she takes on each year, along with Jim, is the annual Maidstone Club Scholarship Tournament. Jim and Ba are also longtime members of the Maidstone Club and have become the ultimate team in their charitable efforts, always placing the utmost focus on the immediate needs of the East End community.
Jim says, “For me personally, I get much more satisfaction taking on a larger fundraising role for a local organization that’s making an impact here, rather than larger, national organizations.”
The East End community is always eager to support EWECC. They do such important work providing the right environment for children of working parents. Jim spoke to the role of fundraising for EWECC, saying, “It is about supporting our littlest citizens who have the least voice. Someone needs to stand up for them.”
The scholarship tournament at Maidstone raises tens of thousands of dollars each year that directly supports the Nancy McCaffrey Scholarship Fund for the EWECC. This fund is integral to EWECC since it helps the Center keep its fees among the lowest in Suffolk County.
The tournament provides a fun way for enthusiastic golfers to come out, play the historic, oceanfront West course, and all in support of an amazing and essential cause to our East End community.
“Maidstone is such a fun course to play,” says Jim. “It is a just great day of golf, all while supporting a cause you can believe in.” He made sure to add, “You can even buy Mulligans!”
Not only will the tournament be a great day for golf on a world-famous course in the Hamptons, but it will support a vital mission. The EWECC not only shapes the development and future of children, but it plays a critical role in our local economy. As an all-day, year-round childcare center, it is an absolute necessity for many parents who might not otherwise be able to work without affordable childcare. Helping local parents be certain that their child is in a place where they are safe, happy, and thriving is vital.
Ba says, “The Center matters to all of us in this community because it is so important that children from all backgrounds have a fair shot. I believe in that strongly. When I see these kids find their confidence, when they first decide to sing a song or write their name, that’s a win for all of us.”
Head out on Wednesday, September 25th for a spectacular day of golf and in support of an East End mission that is near and dear to the Hamptons community. To claim one of the last few spots and enter the Maidstone Scholarship Golf Tournament, click here.
