Porch party for SIEF

Enjoy a summer evening cocktail party on a deck overlooking an English garden on West Neck Bay on Saturday, July 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. when the Shelter Island Educational Foundation hosts its 10th annual Porch Party at the home of Dr. Karen Brush at 60 Westmoreland Drive.

Wine will flow, hors d’oeuvres will be plentiful, as well as a signature drink, a St-Germain sparkling cocktail, as members of the Foundation invite Islanders to join students who have received grants during the past year. 

Silent auction prizes include a wine tasting for four at Wölffer Estate Vineyard and an afternoon of golf, including a cart, at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club. Gulluscio Nursery donated a 10-foot red maple tree; Brian Cass once again contributed his popular mahogany Adirondack chair with ottoman; and Jennifer and Todd Gulluscio donated an afternoon at a Mets game for six people with Club Access (Kids can even run the bases after the game!). There’s an original James Colligan photograph on canvas, a two-seater Adirondack chair donated by the Shelter Island School Technology Department and a 50/50 raffle.

Among the sponsors of the 10th Annual Porch Party are Shelter Island Pilates; Binder Pools; Coecles Harbor Marina; Shelter Island ACE Hardware; Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church; Shelter Island Presbyterian Church and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Major donors include Cass Carpentry; Gardiner’s Bay Country Club; Gulluscio Nursery; Jennifer and Todd Gulluscio; Laura Fiorvanti of CorkBuzz; James Colligan and the Shelter Island School Technology Department.

Founded in 1995, the Shelter Island Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. SIEF is a volunteer-run enterprise. It relies solely on the generosity of Island residents and visitors, local businesses, foundations and other charitable organizations.

SIEF awards individual grants to Shelter Island students to attend educational programs not funded by the school budget. This year we funded the Shelter Island School’s 7th grade Schooner Trip; a high school language immersion adventure to Cadiz, Spain; trips to Broadway, “The Nutcracker;” Metropolitan Opera; Bronx Zoo; and several NYC museums; as well as enrichment camps for students from pre-K to high school seniors. We also support 2Rs4Fun, a reading and writing program that pairs elementary students with adult mentors, Young Artists and Writers Program (YAWP), as well as an interactive concert with the young musicians from the Perlman Music Program. 

All proceeds will benefit the Shelter Island Educational Foundation in its mission to create and provide educational opportunities that inspire, enhance and broaden the horizons of our children and the community. 

Tickets, starting at $75 each, can be purchased at ShelterIslandEdFoundation.org or at the door. Visit the website for sponsorship opportunities.

SUBMITTED BY SHELTER ISLAND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION