Organizers Deem Charity Concert A Success

A week after the Martha Clara charity concert to benefit All for the East End, organizers are calling the event an unequivocal success.

According to Claudia Pilato, vice president and director of marketing for Bridgehampton National Bank, the founding sponsor of the event, "We sold out. Our goal was 3500 general admission tickets and our max, with VIP, was 5000. We had a full house."

Pilato said the final numbers in terms of funds raised for local East End charities have not yet been determined, as there are still invoices to pay and funds to come in.

In terms of how many charities will benefit, Pilato said, "It is a grant process, so applications will probably begin to be accepted in October and the number of grants will depend both on the funds available and the review of applications."

Meanwhile, Juan Micieli-Martinez, Martha Clara Vineyards winemaker and general manager, said Monday that he was very pleased with the success of the "BNB Presents AFTEE Nile Rodgers Dance Party" held at the winery last Monday.

Micieli-Martinez said Martha Clara Vineyards was honored to host the event, since it has been committed to the AFTEE mission from the organization's inception.

AFTEE is a non-profit organization with a vision of helping over 1000 non-profits on the East End. Their mission, he said, aligns with Martha Clara Vineyards' interests and history of providing events and opportunities that give back to the community.

The event, Micieli-Martinez said, brought over 4000 people to the Vineyards for an evening of music, dance, entertainment and fundraising.

With a lineup including Nile Rodgers and Chic, Adam Lambert and Avicii, he said, the concert was a first not only for Martha Clara, but for the North Fork and the East End.
"This was a team effort," Micieli-Martinez said, "that has been close to two years in the making."

Businesses including sponsors, vendors, food trucks and restaurants who served at the VIP tables were all onboard, he said, adding that the crowd represented all age groups and demographics.

At the event, Dennis McDermott of the Riverhead Project, who sits on the AFTEE board, said, "This is good for the North Fork." He added that Riverhead Town officials had been great in facilitating the event, which brought an infusion of much-needed funding to East End charities. 

Along with the rave reviews on social media about the dance party came some complaints from neighbors about the noise and criticism from others who said the event was not meant for farmland in a residential neighborhood.