Dear North Fork Women Members and Friends,

After much thoughtful discussion, the Board has made the difficult decision to cancel this year's Summer Benefit.

This event has been a long-standing and much-loved North Fork Women tradition, so this was not a decision we made lightly. There were many factors we considered, but ultimately, ticket sales have been lower than we had hoped.

Summers on the North Fork are busy, with vacations, visitors and so many competing plans. At the same time, our venue options have changed over the years, and the cost of hosting a large summer event has continued to rise.

While we are certainly disappointed, we also see something very positive in how our organization has grown. North Fork Women now offers more programs and events throughout the year than ever before. The incredible success of First Friday Friends and our other community events means we are seeing one another, connecting and building community more regularly—not just once a year at the Summer Benefit.

We are so grateful to everyone who purchased tickets, offered support and helped with the planning. We will be reaching out directly to those who have already purchased tickets or sponsorships.

Although we are foregoing this year's Summer Benefit, the importance of supporting North Fork Women remains as great as ever. The need within our community—and the demand for our grants—has continued to grow. We hope you will consider making a donation so we can continue providing this vital support to women across the North Fork.

We are very much looking forward to our Annual Oyster Event in October and hope to see many of you there. We have so much to celebrate together, and we remain excited about all that is ahead for North Fork Women.

With gratitude,
Kristen Phelan, President
on behalf of the Board of North Fork Women