Sophie, Rufus and Others Perform Virtual Concert For Cancer Research

The 16th Annual Hamptons Happening, a benefit for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, looks a little different this year, like many annual fundraisers do during the summer of 2020.

This year the event will take the form of a virtual concert with a private hosting party option to raise much-needed funds for cancer research, while honoring COVID-19 first responders.

The one-night-only concert from your home is set to happen on Saturday, August 8, starting at 7:30 p.m.

For those in the Hamptons who wish to turn the concert into a small backyard gathering, the foundation will arrange a contactless dinner delivery with beautifully-packaged food boxes and wine for up to 20 people, provided by chef Peter Ambrose.

“The risks of gathering in large numbers are too high right now,” says William Sullivan, the foundation’s executive director. “So we decided to make this year’s Hamptons Happening event a virtual concert.”

“Enjoy a fun Saturday evening ‘in’ while supporting cancer research and honoring COVID-19 first responders with a fantastic lineup of artists that span genres in rock, pop, and Broadway streamed to your home,” he continues.

The concert will include performances by Sophie B. Hawkins, Rufus Wainwright, Steven Reineke of the New York Pops, Caly Bevier, Sophie Beem and Constantine Maroulis. There will also be celebrity appearances by Lance Bass and Debra Messing, as well as Dr. Rajeev Fernando, the director of infectious diseases at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, who has been on the front lines battling COVID-19. Master of Ceremonies will be Chris Wragge, of CBS 2 News New York.

Guests are invited to enjoy just the concert, or opt for the gourmet catering packages that include wine and cocktails.

Over the years, the Hamptons Happening event has raised over $5 million for the foundation’s “innovative research that is uncovering why cancer develops and how to treat and prevent the disease that affects 1.8 million Americans annually,” says Dr. Samuel Waxman, the foundation’s founder and CEO.

SWCRF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes the disease.

Since its inception in 1976, the foundation has donated approximately $100 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe. The research the foundation conducts is the basis for developing minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through its collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, researchers share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research.

Tickets for a link to view the concert are $150. Catering packages start at $350 per person, which includes hors d’oeuvres, and go up to $1000 per person, which includes a gourmet dinner and an individual bottles of Out East Rosé and Simple Vodka.

To learn more about the virtual event, visit waxmancancer.org.