20 Photos
Margaux MacKinnon (left)
Madisen
Linda MacKinnon
and Colin MacKinnon at the YMCA East Hampton Rec Center. JON WINKLER
Samantha McDermott (left)
Mary Lynn
Jacob
and Whitney Lynn at the YMCA East Hampton Rec Center JON WINKLER
Jackie Shapiro (left)
Donna Welicky
and Lori Raimondo at the YMCA East Hampton Rec Center JON WINKLER
Samantha McDermott (left)
Jacob
and Whitney Lynn MARY LYNN
Linda MacKinnon (left) greeting Madisen BILL RICHMOND
The MacKinnon family greeting Madisen BILL RICHMOND
The MacKinnon family greeting Madisen BILL RICHMOND
Madisen is welcomed by her volunteer family
the MacKinnons. BILL RICHMOND
Dwayne (left) welcomed by Jackie Shapiro of the Fresh Air Fund. BILL RICHMOND
The Fresh Air Fund’s East End Committee welcomed eight children from New York City on Monday to spend two weeks in East Hampton. The children, ranging from 7 to 18 years old, will stay with volunteer families and experience outdoor activities and events that may not be available to them in the crowded metropolis of New York City.
The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit organization focused on bettering the lives of New York City children since 1877. The organization has helped more than 1.8 million New York City kids to visit rural, suburban areas in New Jersey, North Carolina, Maine, and Canada, in addition to the East End. The visit to the East End will be the second of the year for the organization, with the first occurring in July.
“I thought it was great to have these kids out in the country and show them a new experience,” said Lori Raimondo of Sag Harbor, who is one of the hosts. “I was a little nervous at first because I was taking care of somebody else’s children. But I was also very excited to meet new people and show them what’s great about the Hamptons.”
Ms. Raimondo and her partner, Bill Richmond, hosted two young girls last year and earlier this July. As a resident of both Sag Harbor and New York City, she said that she wanted to show the girls all the things to do here that they don’t have the chance to in the city, including walking along the sand dunes of Napeague State Park, visiting the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton and seeing exhibits at Guild Hall.
“There’s so much to do in the area,” Ms. Raimondo said. “I remember we went to the beach and the girls were collecting seashells. One even wanted to bring a bag of sand home. The girls got a lot of exposure.”
Ms. Raimondo said the experience as a whole has made her grateful.
“I’m very lucky to have what I have in my life and I wanted to share what I loved about the East End,” she said. “Some kids in the city don’t have a yard to play in outside, or sometimes it’s not even safe for them to be outside. I think they see this as a break from city life.”
Jon Winkler on Aug 1, 2016