East End Garden Fest Plants Charitable Seed

The East End Garden Festival, started by the Riverhead Rotary Club, returns for its 24th year to benefit the Peconic Bay Medical Center, Operation International, and Riverhead Rotary charities. In addition to its traditional location at Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, the festival will have a dual fundraising location at the Milk Pail in Water Mill.

Operation International also started two dozen years ago in Southampton. While its headquarters is still in Southampton, the nonprofit has expanded throughout the United States and includes over 200 medical professionals. All the money raised at the Water Mill location will be donated to OI’s mission of providing “free medical and surgical care to poor patients in poor countries as well as donate medical equipment and supplies to help with patients’ care.”

Medhat Allam, MD, chairman of Operation International said, “In addition, our volunteers teach and train the local healthcare providers to achieve sustainable improvement in their ability to provide care to their patients. Operation International is also involved in many other projects, for example a program for installation of solar panels on orphanages in several countries, a program to provide amputees in Uganda with prosthesics and rehabilitation to gain self-independence.”

At the festival, plants, shrubs, and flowers will be available for purchase, which were generously donated by growers near and far. Also, a preliminary raffle drawing will be held on Sunday, May 12 for a 20-person suite at a Long Island Ducks Game on May 18, donated by Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Another raffle drawing will be held on May 19 with winners needing to be present to win. First prize is three nights in Nantucket for four people at a private residence that is within walking distance to town and beaches, with a pool and tennis courts, private air transportation included, donated by Sherry Patterson and Dr. Medhat Allam. Second Prize is a one-week vacation at a timeshare resort managed by RCI, donated by Dr. Nilesh Patel. Third prize is a one-night stay at Danford’s Hotel and Marina in Port Jefferson, includes dinner and a couples massage, donated by Danford’s. Fifth prize is a foursome at Baiting Hollow Golf Club. A final prize of four tickets to Rotary Uncorked, held on May 22, was donated by Riverhead Rotary.

The East End Garden Festival will be held Friday, May 10 through Sunday, May 12 from 9 AM to 6 PM; Monday through Thursday, May 13 to May 16 from 10 AM to 2 PM; and Friday through Sunday, May 17 to May 19 from 9 AM to 6 PM. Raffle tickets are $50; three for $100. Purchase at www.riverheadrotary.org.

nicole@indyeastend.com