LONG ISLAND, NY – Supporters gathered to kickoff the Hampton Season on Sunday, May 24th 2015 for The Planned Parenthood Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor from 5 to 7 p.m.. Hamptonites mingled while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. PPHP guests had the opportunity to bid on unique silent auction items, like exquisite art work, tickets to the New York City Ballet or a New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox game, a vacation in the Dominican Republic, paddleboard lessons, fine dining certificates, a sailing adventure, a vintage carousel horse and so much more.
The Annual East End Benefit featured a special guest. This year, Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America joined in to make the event even more spectacular. Bonnie Buckner, Michael Halsband, and Jill Scheuer served as co-chairs of the Benefit Committee, with Dorothy Lichtenstein as chair of the Honorary Committee.
Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) Hosts 27th Annual East End Benefit at Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while having the opportunity to bid on unique silent auction items.
All proceeds from the East End Benefit support reproductive health care services and educational programs. Planned Parenthood of Hudson Peconic provides essential health care to women, men and young people regardless of their financial status.
I was able to interview both Reina Schiffrin, President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
President CEO Reina Schiffrin of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Cognac Wellerlane at the 27th Annual East End Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015.
Hello darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at Planned Parenthood for once more in the Hamptons right here in Sag Harbor at this beautiful estate [Sender Estate] and I am here with Reina and she is going to introduce herself, she is going to introduce her full name and title right here at Planned Parenthood Benefit.
Reina: Absolutely. I am Reina Schiffrin, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.
Tell my audience, you have been doing this event for so many years. How many years have you been doing it in the Hamptons?
Reina: Twenty-seven years we have been doing this.
Last year you achieved your goals. Tell my audience what your goal is this year. What would you like to see happen this year for Planned Parenthood?
Reina: We are happy to see over two hundred people will attend. We would love to raise about two hundred thousand dollars that goes toward our Health Centers here in Suffolk County.
You have something new that some of these young ladies were telling me about and that is The Emerging Leaders Council. What is that all about?
Reina: The next generation has to take over so we have board of directors and this is really a mini board of young women and men in their twenty’s and thirty’s who want to take a leadership role. They want to do advocacy, they want to fund raise, they want to help us with our medical services so they are the board of the future.
They certainly are. I am sure there are many programs that are being developed under the Emerging Leaders Council. Can you tell my audience and explain a little more what is involved with that?
Reina: This group right now are very involved with a sexual assault on campuses issue. They are working specifically with Stoneybrook University to see what can be done to prevent the sex and assault that we know is going on in many colleges, so that is one project. They also would like to see us expand our services to more of the lesbian, gay, bisexual questioning transgender….
That’s very big right now of course with Bruce Jenner.
Reina: It’s great that he is willing and coming out and they like us to provide sexual reproductive care to those men and women who need it.
Yes, there are young people that are confused and they should not be confused or afraid to tell people about their situation because we have help for everyone. That is why we are here to bring awareness for everyone, men, women, transgender, gay, lesbian….it doesn’t matter. We are here to bring reproductive safe sex and to also help anyone who needs your services.
Reina: Planned Parenthood is the ideal organization because we are confidential, we are caring, we are passionate and I think they know that we are a great place to come so we are happy to train my clinicians, my doctors and to expand that service to really provide quality care. We plan to do that.
You are doing a fabulous job. I want you to tell my audience what the website is to find out more information.
Reina: www.plannedparenthood.org; Please go online to see our services, get involved…
or participate, support or contribute.
Reina: Absolutely. We need volunteers. We would love you to get involved. Thank you so much.
Dans Papers Founder Dan Rattiner and Cognac Wellerlane at the 27th Annual East End Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015.
Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America reached out to supporters in her speech at the event and revealed, “This Planned Parenthood is nested in a big family of Planned Parenthoods. We see 2.7 million patients every single year. This is the largest reproductive health care providers in the country and I think it is easy to get discouraged right now given the political state of events in some of the states but I am here to tell you that as of this year we have now seen a forty year low in teen pregnancy in this country and that is largely because of the support of work of Planned Parenthood across the country.”
Cognac Wellerlane interviews Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund and President/CEO Reina Schiffrin of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc. at the Planned Parenthood Fundraiser in Sag Harbor New York during the Memorial Day Weekend.
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. Planned Parenthood believes that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual’s right to privacy. They further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships.
For more information please visit http://www.plannedparenthood.org
