Moriches Bay Project Fundraiser Will Honor Memory of Longtime Supporter

About four years ago, Laura Fabrizio, a co-founder of the Moriches Bay Project, called Mike Burner in a panic.

The electricity powering the floating upweller, housing a large group of oyster seedlings, had gone out at the Westhampton Beach marina, and the oysters were in danger of dying if it wasn’t restored soon.

Burner came to the rescue, calling in an electrical contractor he did business with, and they quickly got the unit going again.

Those were the kinds of things that Burner did on a regular basis for the Moriches Bay Project, a small, grassroots nonprofit founded in 2012 by Fabrizio, Aram Terchunian and Dwight Surgan, with a mission to improve the quality of the water in Moriches Bay and turn it back to its natural state of health, primarily through oyster gardening.

Over the years, the Moriches Bay Project has created partnerships with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Southampton Town Trustees and Brookhaven Town. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water daily, and the goal of the organization is to double the number of oysters it seeds in the bay every year.

Like any community organization with a mission, achieving that goal requires financial support, and the Moriches Bay Project is getting set to host its annual “Save the Bay” fundraising cocktail party on Saturday, May 18, at the Swordfish Beach Club in Westhampton Beach from 5 to 9 p.m.

This year’s gala will be held in honor of Burner, who died earlier this year, at the age of 80.

Fabrizio said the Moriches Bay Project feels his loss “in so many areas,” from his willingness to help in whatever way was needed, since the nonprofit was founded, to his status as a close friend of many of the organization’s founders. Burner and his wife, Nancy, often hosted fundraising events at their home, and were instrumental in drumming up support in other ways as well.

“He just rolled up his sleeves whenever we needed him to, and his did it so naturally,” Fabrizio said.

Burner will be recognized at the gala as a “Hero of the Bay,” and his wife, Nancy, will be presented with a plaque honoring him and his contributions.

The event will include food by Saltwater Kitchen and live music by “Victoria Said,” as well as specialty cocktails and a pop-up shopping opportunity from the clothing and apparel brand Relic.

Tickets are $200 per person.

For more information, visit morichesbayproject.org.