Beachcomber, May 25

Memorial Day weekend is upon us — I can’t believe how quickly the winter flew by. I am sitting in Florida writing this first column, as I will not be arriving in Southampton until mid-June.

The Palm Beach social season was the busiest I have ever seen it. There were more luncheons, cocktail parties and galas for charities than ever before. Not to mention all the wonderful private parties at stunning estates on the island.

That said, here is a brief highlight of some of my favorites.

First up was the Paradise Ball to honor the 100th anniversary of the Salvation Army. The event was held in early December at Mar-a-Lago Club, the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post. How appropriate, as Marjorie had purchased the property to build her dream home in 1922, 100 years earlier.

Chairwoman Holly Holden, along with a formidable group of co-chairs, hosted one of the most elegant evenings we have seen in Palm Beach in a long time, with cocktails poolside followed by an evening of dining and dancing in the gilded ballroom. The evening was an homage to the grand days of Palm Beach.

Next up was the Peggy Adams annual Christmas party at the Sailfish Club. What a delightful night, as guests were treated to a visit from numerous dogs available for adoption from the organization. The Sailfish Club always does an amazing job for these parties, and they did not disappoint. A big thanks to Pauline Pitt and the amazing group of volunteers who made the evening possible.

Many of the big galas this season were held at the Breakers, which does an incredible job hosting hundreds of guests for these celebrations.

First up was the Everglades Foundation event, with Billy Joel as the special honoree of the night. Guests were told of the importance of our Everglades to the delicate balance of nature in Florida. The highlight of the night was an over-the-top performance by Lionel Richie, who had the crowd on its feet for an hour-long show.

The Heart Association held its annual Heart Ball on Valentine’s Day. The Palm Beach Symphony and the Palm Beach Opera hosted their events with their usual flair. The opera had a special performance by world-renowned tenor Piotr Beczala, which left the guests speechless.

Life’s 29th annual Lady in Red Gala was hosted by none other than the lovely Lois Pope and starred Rita Rudner, who had us falling off our seats with laughter. After dinner, there was an incredible performance by Paul Anka, who knows how to work the room.

On a more intimate scale, the Museum of Democracy hosted a lovely cocktail party at a private home. Sharon Bush was the hostess for the evening. The Roosevelt School at Long Island University is the new exhibition space for the museum, whose goal is to educate young and old on the history of politics in America. I’m not sure I would want that task these days!

Well, enough about the winter season in Palm Beach. There is a lot to do on the East End over the next few weekends — here are a couple of interesting ones to attend.

On Saturday, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, better known as ARF, will host a grand reopening celebration at its new “Forever Home.” The adoption center has been closed for the past 21 months to make critical improvements.

The new center will have a 7,000-square-foot kennel building for dogs, a completely renovated cattery and kitten room, as well as a special area for small dogs and puppies. The renovations will allow ARF to host dog training classes for the public, as well as socialization classes, and overall will enrich the quality of life for the animals in their care.

The event is open to the public and will take place from noon until 4 p.m. Festivities include dog training and kitten yoga demonstrations, music by Sandy Rapp, the Dreesen Donut Truck, Hamptons Coffee Company, as well as vendors including some of ARF’s business supporters and friends.

So bring the entire family, including the dog, to check out the new space. The afternoon also will serve as the kickoff for the ARF Designer Auction, which will run online from May 27 until June 5.

On Saturday, June 3, the Southampton Fresh Air Home will host its 31st annual Decorators-Designers-Dealers sale and auction. This year marks the camp’s 122nd season for children with physical disabilities.

They have moved up the early shopping to 4 p.m., followed by general admission at 5 p.m. This year’s honorary chairs are Charlotte Bonstrom, Amanda Holmén and Raya Keis Knight.

As always, Ann Grimm, along with Ann Yawney, Barbara Glatt and Christl Meszkat, as well as an incredible group of volunteers, have curated all the rooms with some of the most amazing items for your home. It never fails that I find something I just can’t live without at this event. This is definitely worth the price of admission and a not-to-be-missed night of fantastic shopping.

The DDD event and the American Picnic are the Southampton Fresh Air Home’s two major fundraising events of the year. The work they do is remarkable, and the experience for the campers is life changing. I love chatting with former campers to hear how a summer at the camp helped them to realize goals that they thought would be impossible. To hear the stories of campers that have gone on to college and become productive members of society is inspiring.

On Friday, June 16, STAR AquaCenter will host a breakfast at The Muse at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons. The purpose of the gathering is to give a detailed update on the project and continue to raise funds for this important center.

The goal of the organization is to provide an indoor AquaCenter for our community — this will include senior fitness programs and lessons for children to learn how to swim. They will also offer programs for lifeguards and first responders to better enable them to serve the East End.

To date, they have raised over $6 million of the $20 million to build the center. The Town of Southampton, through the Community Preservation Fund, has given the land to the organization. This is an incredible opportunity for the entire East End and needs our support.

As with last season, “Beachcomber” will be running in all four editions for the summer. I will try to cover events across the East End — but not until the end of June.

Hope to see you then!