Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club Supporters Dance Under the Stars

During the winter solstice, skies get clearer and stars in the night sky are supposed to glisten brighter than during any other season.  The twinkle in the stars however could not have been more brilliant than on Saturday, December 7, 2013 when Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club at Lincoln House hosted their 37th Annual Fundraising Gala, Dancing Under the Stars, honoring one of its brightest stars, Liz Berens. 

Mrs. Berens began her commitment to the children of Glen Cove in 1984, serving as Vice President, then President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club.   Today, she is an active member of the Club’s Honorary Board.   Mrs. Berens received the 2013 Champion of Youth Award at the Gala, the highest recognition bestowed by the Club’s national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Gala was held under a tent at the Meadow Brook Club and bottles of exquisite wines were served thanks to the gracious donation of Banfi Vintners of Old Brookville. The décor by Party Up Productions was elegantly simple and unassumingly chic, focusing on the stars of the night, both overhead and in the room, and there were plenty of stars to be seen everywhere.    The evening’s program recognized Betsy Gibbs, Owner of Worth Repeating in Locust Valley and the enthusiastic force behind the success of the organization’s Club Closet Tag Sale and Club Closet Shopping Spree, with the Liz Durante Community Service Award.  The Club’s Youth Program Director, Sara Laskow was recognized as Professional of the Year for her unwavering commitment to the Club.  Both Betsy and Sara’s dedication have made a significant and positive difference in the lives of the Club’s members.  The Gala also remembered and celebrated a very special star, Christine Pell, board member and event co-chair who recently passed away.  Board President Deborah Brisbane and board member Patricia O’Kane also co-chaired the event with the assistance of a long list of committee and junior committee members.  Tent walls were lined with pictures of the littlest stars – Club members who benefit from the proceeds from the Gala. 

Another dazzling star of the evening was auctioneer CK Swett, who according to the New York Times has “managed to shake up the staid world of auctioneering…,” and NBC News referred to as a “colorful character in the usually reserved world of charity fundraising.” Mr. Swett did an outstanding job auctioning fabulous getaways procured by Live Auction Chairs Aimee Eberle and Julie Zarou to places like Montauk, Sun Valley, Nantucket and Bermuda but his stellar performance came with the Max Out the Miracle campaign, a gift-matching challenge by an anonymous donor who will match every dollar donated to the Club with two dollars, effectively tripling the value of each donation.  After the Auction, guests danced the night away to music by the Groove Shop of Silver Pro Entertainment.

The success of the Gala was made possible by the many volunteers, sponsors, advertisers and donors who supported the event which helps raise a significant portion of the Club’s annual budget.  To see the list of these generous stars, visit www.glencovebgc.org.

To find out how to support the Club, contact Executive Director, Melissa Rhodes at mrhodes@glencovebgc.org or call 516-671-8030 ext. 103.