East End Charities Get More Than $70,000, More Music, from AFTEE

This summer’s inaugural All For the East End (AFTEE) charity concert was a resounding success, raising more than $70,000 to benefit East End not-for-profit organizations.

AFTEE President Myron Levine, along with board members Kevin O’Connor and Claudia Pilato of Bridgehampton National Bank, and Bob Edelman, CEO of Dan’s Papers, gathered at Peconic Public Broadcasting’s studios in Southampton on “Giving Tuesday” to present the checks to WPPB President Wally Smith and and Long Island Community Fund Executive Director David Okorn in an on-air interview with Bonnie Grice.

“Five thousand dollars went to Peconic Public Broadcasting, because they were the lead organizer in putting AFTEE together,” Levine said. “And we just gave $50,000 to the Long Island Community Foundation, which is a not-for-profit that assists foundations in evaluating potential grant applications for nonprofits, making sure they comply with best practice standards.”

“From a nonprofit standpoint, I think it was a great event, because it brought so many of the non-profit organizations together,” Okorn said. “They’re typically competing for funds, and challenging one another, and this was an event where they all came together and pitched in, and saw this as a bigger opportunity to help the broader community.” East End nonprofits can begin applying for grants early next year. “We’ll get the process out to the local nonprofits, so they’ll know how to apply, and then within that first quarter, we’ll get the grant checks out,” Okorn said.

The Long Island Community Fund has a long history of helping nonprofit organizations get the money they need. “We’ve been around for about 35 years, but we’re part of the New York Community Trust, which is one of the largest community foundations in the nation,” Okorn said. The New York Community Trust, which was founded in 1924, manages more than $2.2 billion in charitable assets. “We do this on a regular basis, and that’s why AFTEE had reached out to us.”

With the first year being so successful, the East End is sure to see another event this summer to follow the concert at Martha Clara Vineyards that saw Nile Rodgers, Adam Lambert and Avicii take the stage. “We filled that field to the limit of our permit, which as 5,000 people and we’re now exploring the possibility of expanding on that venue,” Levine said. “ We can virtually assure any of the entertainers out here that would be wiling to donate or participate that they would be performing to a packed venue and a very appreciative audience.”

SEE NILE RODGERS, ADAM LAMBERT AND AVICII PERFORM “LAY ME DOWN” AT THE AFTEE CONCERT

“I see this as something that could go on for a number of years, and create a long-lasting legacy and potentially a permanent fund for the East End charities,” Okorn said. “Whatever the issues are at the current time, there will be money there to help address those issues.”