Artists & Writers First Pitch Cocktail Party & Auction

Sports fans we are in the home stretch and I am not talking about the Kentucky Derby…the 65th Annual Artists & Writers Softball Game is next weekend!

The big game is Saturday, August 17th, 2:00 p.m. at Herrick Park in East Hampton Village, but the fundraising is in full swing and you can be part of it. Bidding on the fabulous auction items started last week including front row seats at a filming of Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton, VIP tickets to the Hampton Classic, All Access passes to the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival, lunch for 4 in NYC with political analyst, author and commentator Lawrence O’Donnell, to name but a few. There is artwork, wine tours, gift certificates, artist studio tours and a handmade commemorative quilt made from past Artists & Writers Softball uniforms. If you would like to bid you can do so by simply going to www.charitybuzz.com and navigate to the Artists & Writers Softball Game auction page.

If you would rather bid in person, have we got a party for you! The First Pitch Cocktail Party and Auction is the night before game day on Friday, August 16, 6-8:30 p.m. at LTV Studios in East Hampton and it will be a blast. There will be fabulous food and drink, a special performance by SVET of America’s Got Talent and you will have an opportunity to meet some of the players while bidding on the auction items. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Click on the link below to purchase your tickets.

Among the players included on this year’s roster for the artists are Leif Hope, Eric Ernst, Ed Hollander, Christie Brinkley, Anthony Wehm, Josh Charles, Walter Bernard, Joel Perlman, Gregg Bello, Randall Rosenthal, Nathan Sawaya and Lori Singer. The writers will be fielding the likes of co-captains Ken Auletta & Mike Lupica, Carl Bernstein, Ed and Brian Burns, Mort Zuckerman, Jim Leyritz, Chef Tom Colicchio, Rod Gilbert, Lawrence O’Donnell, Mark Green, Richard Wiese and yours truly. NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will be behind the plate umpiring the game with Matt Lauer and Dan Rattiner. Play-by-play will be done by James Lipton, Juliet Papa, Bob Balaban and Fred Garver.

Hamptons.com is a proud Media Sponsor of the Artists & Writers Softball Game and we encourage all East Enders to support this historic and ironically Hamptons event. Ticket donations are only $10 at the game and the proceeds from the game, cocktail party and auction go to support human need related charities including East End Hospice, East Hampton Day Care Learning Center, Phoenix House Adolescent Center in Wainscott and The Retreat. Play ball!!!

The Board of Directors of the Artists & Writers Softball Game including David Brandman, Ronnette Riley, Deb McEneaney, Eric Ernst, Leif Hope and Juliet Papa at last year’s First Pitch Cocktail Party. (Photo: Courtesy of Artist & Writers Softball Game)