Photographs: Andres Moore by Andrea Carson; all others contributed
Fifty years ago, Richard Nixon was resigning, Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” was the No. 1 song and a stamp cost 10 cents—that was 10 cents more than the cost of a ticket at the new performance space Westport residents erected on the site of the town dump that year. Fifty years later, the Levitt Pavilion, named after benefactors Mimi and Mortimer Levitt, offers as many free concerts per year as years the community gathering space has been in existence.
“We are closer to sixty this year,” say Carleigh Welsh, the Levitt’s Vice President and Executive Producer. “We are the Dolly Parton of presenters,” quips Carleigh. “We believe more is more!” Carleigh pretty much grew up at the Levitt; her mom Freda has been running the show.
TYLER BOE DREXLER
FOUNDED 2013
MISSION OF ORGANIZATION:
To advance educational equity for Norwalk students by providing academic and enrichment opportunities, a collaborative community, and an inspirational learning environment.
How long you have been involved?
I was introduced to Horizons National over a decade ago while working at Ralph Lauren who supported the program on a national level. When I moved to New Canaan, my father-in-law, Blake Drexler, who was on the board, introduced me to the CT State Norwalk affiliate, and I was thrilled to become involved on a more local level.
You’re such a highly visible face in fashion around town and you’re equally as passionate about Horizons. Tell us what the organization does.
Horizons at CT State Norwalk is anchored by a six-week summer program guided by a professional faculty in a nurturing environment. The program is committed to the development of the whole child through experiences that enhance self-esteem, build problem-solving skills, and encourage a lifelong interest in learning. Horizons emphasizes academics, the arts, social growth and athletics.
The cornerstone of Horizons at CT State Norwalk, formerly Norwalk Community College, is a six-week, full-day, tuition-free summer program, including academic instruction, enrichment opportunities, social emotional education, field trips, mentoring and guidance. Our students are from Norwalk, qualify for free or reduced fee lunch and like all Horizons affiliates, we provide the fun and confidence-building of swimming and water safety instruction.
During the school year, Horizons CTSN offers one-on-one tutoring and social emotional learning after school. Our year-round High School Program provides support and resources as students navigate the challenges of high school and college preparation.
Horizon’s vision is that all children have the opportunity to realize their full potential and it is wonderful to be a small part of supporting that for children in our community.
What are some of the events you have activated to raise awareness for the organization?
Given that our affiliate takes place on a college campus, CT State Norwalk, one of my first goals when joining the board was to raise awareness to families in neighboring towns. My Communication Co-Chair Charlotte Lamb and I created the Women’s Ambassador Council which in three short years has grown to over 300 women across the towns of New Canaan, Darien and Rowayton who are all engaged in supporting Horizons through many different touchpoints.
As an affiliate without a private-school parent base, we rely on this dynamic group of women to build our support base and community. Together, we have created exciting and engaging events that have not only raised awareness and program funds, but also connected these communities with the Horizons children and families.
2025 will be the fourth year of our Annual Women’s Ambassador Council Dinner, most recently at Rowayton Seafood, which has sold out in a matter of hours. This event has become our signature fundraising moment for this group and due to the amazing engagement of these women we have been able to expand our event programming throughout the year. This includes multiple snack drives, books drives, school supply donations, holiday events and gift donations for the Horizons families, charitable shopping events, as well as workshops to support the parents of children and volunteer mentorship programming for our high school aged students. These moments have been incredibly rewarding for all involved, as it allows you to give back in the time and manner that best suits you and your family. Every person that has touched this program has made a difference directly towards the children who participate in Horizons.
What are ways you are looking to expand Horizons footprint in Westport?
Given that the children of Horizons at CT State Norwalk are Westport’s neighbors, we are looking forward to having the opportunity to introduce fundraising and event programming along with the Women’s Ambassador Council to this community. There are nine Horizon’s affiliates in the state of Connecticut and Horizons at CT State Norwalk is the only affiliate hosted on a community college campus, therefore we are looking for our neighboring community of Westport to help us continue to raise this critical awareness. Our values at Horizons at CT State Norwalk are simple: Children First Integrity, Equality, Respect Collaboration. We want to invite and encourage the people of Westport who we know share in our values to help us continue to support these incredible children and families.
What is next for Horizons and your goals with it for 2025?
Our goals have always been and will always continue to be how we can service more children that need the program. Additionally we are proud to say that this year, we are serving ages Pre-K through 12th grade and continue to grow our High School Mentorship program; 97% of our students nationally graduate high school on time and attend college or other post-secondary education. After over a decade of nurturing a love of learning in our students, we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and hope that Westport can support our hopes of continuously growing our efforts.
How can we get involved ….
Many of our students and staff call Horizons their “second home” and that honor would not be possible without support. We invite you to join us in this important work, building brighter futures for our Norwalk students and their families.
Getting Involve
• Become a high school mentor
• Sponsor a student
• Host a snack, book or supply drive
• Foster community connections for field trips for the students
• Take a tour of our amazing program this summer! You can learn more and donate here: horizonsctsn.org/donations/
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KIRA GREENFIELD
FOUNDED 2023
MISSION OF ORGANIZATION:
We are passionately raising funds to support cutting-edge research initiatives dedicated to uncovering better treatments and ultimately a cure for Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). Our current focus is on our partnership with the Mayo Clinic called “Project Shea,” where our funding is allowing them to focus on groundbreaking research that could lead to the first-ever FDA-approved treatment for LQTS.
You’re so highly visible in your quest to find a cure if Long QT Syndrome. Tell us about how you came to discover your daughter Shea had this disease.
Shea was born on June 20, 2022, and that same day Shea’s heart stopped beating. Doctors scrambled to restart her heartbeat, which luckily they were able to do, but they knew something was very wrong. They immediately performed an electrocardiogram scan (EKG), which revealed something called a “prolonged QT interval,” meaning that Shea’s heart’s electrical system was taking longer than usual to recharge between beats.
From day one you were in a mission to raise fund and Awareness to find a cure. How did you go about that?
Once Shea was diagnosed with LQTS, we wanted to learn everything possible about the disease and the more we learned, the more alarmed we felt. We did a deep dive of the medications she was taking, neither one an FDA-approved medication for her condition, and one with nasty side effects, so we knew we had to do more than just accept her diagnosis and daily struggles. We did more research and found that there is only one doctor who is actively working on a cure for her condition, and we begged for an appointment. In January 2023 we had a three-hour zoom with Dr. Michael Ackerman at the Mayo Clinic, where we first learned how he would help us navigate this winding journey, and then learned about the work he’s doing for Long QT Syndrome and immediately decided we needed to get involved. We needed to get some power back and fight for a better life for our daughter and so many others living with her condition.
Once we formed our foundation, we started working closely with Dr. Ackerman to determine what the immediate focus should be on, which is how “Project Shea” came about. Through “Project Shea” our foundation has partnered with Dr. Ackerman to drive groundbreaking research that could lead to the first-ever FDA-approved treatment for LQTS. Through our Foundation’s support, Dr. Ackerman has assembled a team of top scientists who are on a mission to develop new drug therapies within the next 12-24 months. Their goal is to discover at least five promising drug candidates and begin human trials within five years, providing hope and a lifeline for families like us, who live every day in fear that our daughter could be taken too soon by this silent condition.
Now you have a foundation. What are the main ways locally that you raise funds?
This past June we had our second annual “Shake it for Shea” Gala, where the community came together for an amazing night to celebrate life. We had over 500 people in attendance, and we raised just over $440K. We raised funds through event tickets, as well as sponsorships and our silent auction. Next week we are throwing our first annual “Shank it for Shea” golf outing followed by a reception at Birchwood Country Club. As we get our footing with our foundation, we hope to hold three annual events, as well as many fireside chats where we educate people on our mission and our “why” and hope to get more people interested in our cause.
How and to whom are the funds raised distributed?
The funds are distributed to the Mayo Clinic’s Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Lab, which is spearheaded by Dr. Michael Ackerman. They are earmarked specifically for use in LQTS research, and more specifically to be used for Project Shea, which we described above.
What are ways you are looking to expand the foundation’s footprint?
We are trying to expand our footprint to reach many other areas of the United States and not just Fairfield County. We are currently working on setting up fireside chats in Long Island, New Jersey, New York, Florida, and California. We’ve had incredible people show up to the fireside chats that we have hosted and they have offered to help organize chats around the country with people they know who may be interested in getting involved in our cause and/or helping spread awareness.
How old is Shae now and how is she doing with her treatment?
Shea is 2 years old now and unfortunately her current treatment (two medications three times a day) is a daily battle. The medications, while necessary, cause severe side effects like frequent vomiting, seizures, dizziness, weakness, and relentless fatigue that rob Shea of the ability to enjoy the activities most children her age take for granted. These side effects, combined with the fact that the current treatments do not fully protect against the risk of sudden death from LQTS, highlight the urgent need for better and safer therapies.
Getting Involved
The most impactful way to help is by raising awareness of Long QT Syndrome and our foundation, Hearts in Harmony. Spreading the word not only educates people about this deadly condition but also connects us with potential donors. Fundraising is essential, because the more we raise, the more we can allocate resources to critical initiatives like Project Shea. These funds enable us to support cutting-edge research, improve treatments, and ultimately find a cure, which is the driving force behind everything we do.
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JENNIFER LAU
Genevieve Lau The Loved Movement
FOUNDED 2014
MISSION OF ORGANIZATION:
The Loved Movement’s mission is to make the world a brighter place one loved necklace at a time. We try to reach as many women battling cancer as we can to help them feel a little more supported, stronger, hopeful and most importantly loved.
You’re such an incredible jewelry designer Tell us a bit about choosing this iconic necklace for the LOVED mission and campaign?
Thank you so much ! I designed the loved with the intention of it connecting women. That’s why we chose a circle. There’s no beginning or end. It’s like the loved necklace — you would never know if someone bought it for themselves or was gifted it or received it as a donation. It connects all of us women. I wanted a simple yet bold font to be proud of wearing it and showing we are loved. And of course like all my jewelry I wanted a chic, but simple classic statement. timeless.
How did you come to partner with BCA and PinkAid on this partnership?
I partnered with Pink Aid thanks to the founders of Pink Aid, Andrew Mitchell and Amy Katz. I happened to be at the Pink Aid charity event about 10 years ago and while watching the runway show thought this is how I can make an impact. I can donate loved necklaces to women with cancer. I just designed the piece for my line about six months before and one of the survivors was wearing one of my loved. When I met with Andrew and Amy they fell in love (ha ha) with the piece and the idea and movement as much as I did!
What I love about LOVED is that there is a one-for-one giveback. After meeting with Pink Aid I thought about how to make this the most impactful and to me it was just very obvious. It became a one for one. For every loved necklace sold, one is donated to a women with cancer. We started out just working with Pink Aid, but it has grown so much that now most of our donations are word of mouth or people reaching out and telling me their stories. We are always pivoting to make sure we are helping women with cancer or any women who just really needs to feel loved since they’re going through a challenging time.
How many necklaces have you donated?
I’ve donated approximately 2,000 loved necklaces to date. It’s truly become a movement.
Tell us about some of the impact you have seen in the woman wearing your LOVED pieces.
I recently heard the most amazing story about one of our loved necklaces. About 8 years ago I was doing a trunk show in Jackson Hole. A woman from New York City was vacationing there and loved the story. She bought a necklace for her friend who was just diagnosed with cancer. Her friend finished treatment and passed it to someone else who was undergoing treatment. And so on. It has kept going and being passed along for eight years to someone who really need to have strength, feel supported and loved!
Many believe (myself included) that there’s some magic power in these loved necklaces. I always hear how women touch it and hold it when they need a little extra support. I’ve seen this. It makes me so happy to see women have something tangible to help with difficult times. I am just trying to make the world a better brighter place one loved necklace at a time.
Where to Purchase
Available for purchase online at genevievelau.com/pages/loved or in store at Mitchells
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JUDY MICHAELIS
FOUNDED 1979
MISSION OF ORGANIZATION:
To save lives.
You’re such a boldface name in real estate around town and you have your eyes on the ground. Tell us a bit about choosing our local EMS to support.
I had a local mom whose house I was selling, and I remember being surprised when she opened the door to greet me, clad in an EMS uniform. I learned that even though she had four kids, she still made the time to volunteer for a shift every Friday as an EMT to serve our community. When I started asking questions, I distinctly remember her saying, “Judy, this is not New York City. Our EMS is almost all volunteers and we need to fundraise to stay current with the latest equipment.” She helped bring awareness to me of how important our local EMS was and inspired me to get involved.
How did you come to get involved and how long have you been?
I like to help where I am most needed. Once I learned that Westport Volunteer EMS did not have a fundraising department or even a staff person in charge of fundraising, I knew I could use my skills as a marketer to benefit them. I have been organizing fundraising events for the past five years that raise awareness and bring the community together. One of the things I am most proud of is that when you donate to the EMS, 100% of the money goes directly to EMS, and not to a staff person in charge of distributing it.
What are some of the events you have activated to raise awareness for the EMS?
Our most recent event was a fun Band-Aid music event in September. It featured the popular DJ Mo, Teacup Sallie band, and Vintage Band, two favorite groups in the community. It was held at the beautiful Cedar Point Yacht Club, truly oneof Westport’s hidden gems. I have also organized several restaurant opening events with all proceeds benefitting the EMS. For example, in August 2023, I organized an opening for the Mexican restaurant Tacombi, which raised over $10,000. It is also a way to say thank you to the EMT volunteers, who we always invite to join for free.
What is the shortfall in what the town supports and operating costs?
The shortfall is twofold. First, since EMS is solely funded on donations, we need more money for vehicles and state-of-the art-equipment. We rely on fundraising to equip our community with the best vehicles and equipment and give the highest caliber training to our volunteers. Our ambulances are getting older, and the price of a new one is more than $400,000. Additionally, with the increase in the town’s population, we also need more trained EMS volunteers, as our current volunteers are overwhelmed.
You work closely with EMS President James Bairaktaris. What are your goals for 2025?
We are organizing another Band-Aid music event for 2025. We also plan to host more fabulous pre-opening restaurant parties like the fundraising event we did at Tacombi. I also hope to do a Kitchen Crawl for EMS in the next few years, like I had done for other nonprofits before the pandemic. Local chefs were stationed at gorgeous homes in Westport and it was a party with over 400 people moving from house to house! The bottom line is nothing is more important in our town than the EMS and we must always be fundraising and recruiting volunteers.
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ANDREA MOORE
FOUNDED 1938
MISSION OF ORGANIZATION:
To equip all learners for global competitiveness by leading strategic partnerships with schools and communities that advance excellence and growth opportunities.
Highly visible. …
I have dedicated time to many organizations in Westport over the last 20+ years focused on children and education: PTA, Staples Tuition Grants, Westport/Weston Family Y, NCL. I have volunteered at the Carver, through the NCL Westport/Weston where my daughters and I are members, and then was invited to a few events by a friend, Inwha Kim who is on the board. Once I heard the students success stories I was hooked on the organization, their mission and the significant impact they are having on young lives. One of the most impressive statistics is since 2005, 100% of the Carver seniors have graduated on time from high school and almost all become first-generation college students. The impact is significant.
Tell us a bit about the work the organization does.
Carver operates 60+ before-school, after-school, summer, and community programs serving nearly 3,000 students per year. Certified teachers who work in the students’ daytime schools lead the programs that take place in every K-12 Norwalk Public School, Side by Side Charter School, Bridgeport’s Classical Studies Magnet Academy, four elementary schools in Bridgeport, Stamford High School, Naugatuck High School, and the Carver Community Center.
What are some of ways locally that you raise funds and awareness?
Attending and encouraging friends to participate in Carver’s events such as their annual spring gala, golf tournament, and cocktail parties. These are great opportunities to hear from students and graduates directly impacted by Carver programs. Historically, Rowayton has been very supportive of the Carver, but we are working on broadening awareness and support in our Westport community.
How and to whom are the funds raised distributed?
The Carver team is supported by many volunteers like myself serving on committees to raise awareness and funds to support its vital programming. Funded raised support all of the before and after school programs within the schools as well as at The Carver location in Norwalk. Last June, The Carver also awarded over $150,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors and returning college students.
What are ways you are looking to expand the center’s footprint?
Demand is high for the Carver’s programs that offer academic support, STEAM enrichment programs, workforce development initiatives, wellness activities, and more. The Carver has fully expanded into all 21 Norwalk Public Schools and is increasingly becoming a regional provider with additional programs in Bridgeport, Stamford, and Naugatuck. Construction is underway on a new two-story Teen Center addition at the Carver Community Center. The Carver collaborates with many community partners to provide robust STEAM enrichments and workforce development programming, including paid internships for 11th-and-12th graders.
Getting Involved
There are many ways to get involved at the Carver. The team is always looking for volunteers to share their skills by serving on a volunteer committee (fundraising, events, etc.) or with Carver kids (tutoring, college/career prep, leading workshops). Nikki LaFaye is the Director of Philanthropy, and she is happy to talk to anyone who is interested in getting more information or becoming involved in a big or small way. Contact nikki@the-carver.org.
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