Good Times, Good Causes: 10 Great Hamptons Charity Events This Weekend

Dance the night away with Russell Simmons and K.C and the Sunshine Band at the 11th Annual Starlight Gala. Get active at the 29th RJA Memorial Mighty Montauk Triathlon, Christopher’s Run, the Long Island Tour de Cure or a Day at the Beach. Join the garden party for the Hampton Bays Beautification Association and the annual Decorators-Designers-Dealers Sale and Auction Benefit Gala. It’s a weekend filled with great Hamptons charity events for great causes across the East End—so many, in fact, that our list of 10 goes to 11.

Ross School 11th Annual Starlight Gala
Shake, shake, shake your bootie down to Live @ClubStarlight, where special guest Russell Simmons, legendary act KC and the Sunshine Band, cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner, dancing and more make for an unforgettable evening benefiting the Steven J. Ross Scholarship Fund and the Ross School.

Christopher’s Run
Christopher’s Run is an annual 5K Run/Walk benefit in Southampton inspired by Christopher Lesta, who was born with Hunter Syndrome (or MPS II), a rare and untreatable genetic disorder caused by the body’s inability to produce certain necessary enzymes. In December 2005, Christopher underwent an Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant at Duke University Medical Center. He had been doing well, and even started kindergarten in September 2007, where he made many friends. Unexpectedly in December 2007, he passed away due to an infection that spread throughout his body to his heart. June 2008 marked the First Annual Christopher’s 5K Run/Walk, and the legacy continues this weekend.

Take Care of Our Island Cocktail Party and Auction
East End Hospice heads to that bucolic island between the Twin Forks to host “Take Care of Our Island,” a cocktail party and auction at the Shelter Island Yacht Club North Pier.

Sing East End at Vail Leavitt Music Hall
The 5th annual Sing East End open karaoke benefit event is back at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, featuring over 40 very talented local singers of all ages, dinner served by some of Riverhead’s finest restaurants, great auction prizes, a 50/50 raffle plus lots of giveaways. All proceeds from Sing East End benefit the “Good Grief” Children’s Bereavement Program of East End Hospice, where local children who have recently lost loved ones attend “Camp Good Grief” for a week in the summer.

29th RJA Memorial Mighty Montauk Triathlon
This USAT sanctioned triathlon includes a 1-mile swim, 22-mile bike and 6.2-mile run through Montauk. Beneficiaries include the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Montauk Senior Nutrition Center, East Hampton PBA and Montauk Ambulance Squad.

East End Livestock and Horsemen’s Association Barn Dance Benefit
All ages are welcome and no dance experience is needed—the caller will call the steps as you go along—at this foot-stompin’ benefit for the association’s rescue fund.

HBBA Garden Party Fundraiser and Famous Chinese Auction
The Hampton Bays Beautification Association event at Cowfish is not merely a chance to support efforts to beautify the community, but a time to celebrate with an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and light buffet, music by Under the Influence and, of course, the renowned auction.

Long Island Tour de Cure
The American Diabetes Association is challenging riders to be a part of the Stop Diabetes movement by participating in the annual Tour de Cure, a cycling event to help raise funds to change the future of diabetes and help stop this devastating disease. LI Tour de Cure features routes of different lengths for riders of all skill levels, and at the finish you will be welcomed with cheering volunteers, great food and more.

2014 Decorators-Designers-Dealers Sale and Auction Benefit Gala
Benefitting the Southampton Fresh Air Home’s 113th year of camp for physically challenged children, this definitive fundraising party of the summer season features live, silent and wine auctions (boasts a selection that could rival the best of any private collection), and an extraordinary home-furnishings and antiques sale.

A Day at the Beach
A fundraiser to benefit the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Take a walk on the sand from the Tiana Beach activity center to the Shinnecock Inlet and back (about a 10K—but if a 5K is more to your liking, there will be transportation at the inlet to bring you back to Tiana Beach). For those not walking, there will be a sand castle contest with prizes for the winners, and at the activity center there will be a party with a DJ, face painting, raffles and more.

Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center’s 17th Annual Silent Auction for Wildlife
The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, whose mission is to preserve and protect our region’s native wildlife by providing rehabilitation services and education to raise public awareness of the factors that threaten its abundance and diversity, holds its annual silent auction with live music, food and more at the Southampton Elks Club.

Find more benefits and nonprofit events this weekend and all summer on the Dan’s Papers Calendar.