
The Loves Bites fundraiser hosted by The Clubhouse Hamptons to benefit Katy’s Courage will take place on Saturday, March 4th from 7:00-10:00 p.m. This event will feature top chefs, restaurants, and entertainment that can only be found on the East End—the Hamptons’ best winter tasting and dancing benefit.
Katy’s Courage is a non-profit organization that honors Katy Stewart, a precious little girl who inspired all who knew her throughout her short lifetime before she passed away of a rare pediatric cancer at 12 years old. Katy’s Courage was initially founded in 2012 by Katy’s parents, Brigid Collins and Jim Stewart, and their mission has always been to educate and support families and children through scholarships, children’s bereavement support, and pediatric cancer research. Brigid and Jim expressed that they are an ever-growing organization with a dedicated focus on expanding their abilities and resources to provide help for those who need it.
Love Bites is an annual fundraising event that was first started about 25 years ago by Linda Shapiro. The event has raised money for several different organizations over the years including Ellen’s Run, Scarlette Fund, and of course, Katy’s Courage. The event will honor Christina & Rudy DeSanti of Dreesen’s Catering and will feature unlimited tastings from over 20 of the Hamptons’ top chefs. There will be beer, wine, and specialty drinks to enjoy, along with music by DJ Michael of East End Entertainment, decorations by Decco by Party Up Productions, a silent auction, and Golfers Dream Raffle that will all come together to create an evening of fun, entertainment, and community.
The fundraiser will feature numerous talented chefs from the East End with unlimited tastings. Peter Ambrose says, “The Culinary community in the Hamptons is amazing, great personalities, hardworking, and generous to a fault. Look at your kids’ little league uniform, fundraisers for local organic farms, homeless shelters, etc. that are usually assisted by or backed by someone or many in the culinary community as is Katy’s Courage Love Bites Event.” Peter Ambrose is frequently able to organize events with more than twenty participating chefs, and this one will be no different. With these contributing restaurants and caterers, Love Bites will be sure to be an evening of culinary delight!
Most of the participating restaurants and chefs are recognized names around the East End like Golden Pear Café, Union Burger Bar, Hampton Coffee Company, South Fork Bakery, and so many more. The talent on the Hamptons’ culinary scene is truly unmatched, and it isn’t often that you can find it all in one place on one night like you will at Katy’s Courage Love Bites Fundraiser!
Brigid and Jim, Katy’s parents and founders of Katy’s Courage, mentioned, “We have been fortunate to have a direct relationship with all of the fundraising events and our generous sponsors. They have all been started by friends. They are all vital to the support of all of our efforts.” Peter Ambrose similarly expressed the unmatched support of the Hamptons community when it comes to fundraising efforts and how important the Katy’s Courage mission is to him personally. He said, “There are so many great fundraising efforts in the Hamptons: MSK, Milken Group for Prostate Cancer, St. Jude, Waxman Foundation, Breast Cancer Coalition, and so on. Katy’s Courage means so much to me for several reasons. The Stewarts are dear friends of mine and my dad and Jim taught school together for many years at East Hampton High School. I feel like Katy’s Courage is ‘our cause,’ meaning Eastern Long Island. These fundraisers are small successful events organized by folks donating time, food, and money while working 9-5s. All for a common cause.”
Love Bites is sure to be a fun night out with music and entertainment, the delicious spread, great drinks, and dancing. And it’s all for such an important cause! Brigid and Jim always look forward to the annual Love Bites fundraiser. They say, “Everyone enjoys themselves and the silent auction is always amazing!”
Peter Ambrose echoes this sentiment by saying, “Our Goal is perceived value, and we manage to achieve it every year. You leave feeling good about yourself for helping a great cause and cannot believe how much fun you had!”
To purchase tickets for the event and to learn more about Katy’s Courage, visit www.katyscourage.org.