Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - Honoring Martha, Listening to James at Ross Benefit

This Saturday, June 20, the Ross School will hold its Sixth Annual Club Starlight event to benefit its programs and scholarships. Seth Myers of "Saturday Night Live" will perform, as will Ross alumna Alexa Ray Joel and soul musician James Ingram. This year's Club Starlight evening will honor Stewart (who will attend) for her incredible creativity and business success in a wide array of media.

The benefit will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing, music mixed by the illustrious and high-energy D.J. Kiss, and both live and silent auctions. An online auction, in progress now at CharityBuzz.com, includes a weeklong stay in Vail, an excursion aboard the marvelous Maxi Yacht, and a three-night stay at the Plaza Athenee in NYC, as well as a Harry Winston watch. Other donations made by parents, local organizations, trustees and friends of the Ross School will be auctioned off at the event, and there will be a raffle for a summer rental of a 2010 Toyota Prius, donated by Riverhead Toyota.

This Saturday will be the Ross's biggest fundraiser of the year, raising money not only for the Steven J. Ross Scholarship Fund, but also for a new scholarship just started this year, the Martha Stewart Scholarship Award, which will be awarded to a Ross pupil who is interested in pursuing culinary arts. Over one quarter of the Ross School's student body are able to attend the school thanks to the scholarships funded by this event

Courtney Sale Ross founded the Ross School in 1991 when she was seeking an interdisciplinary education for her daughter - something that would prepare her for the uncertain and ever-changing future. With the help of leading thinkers in education, she expanded her idea to starting a school. She started the Travel School in 1991 - then only three girls - traveling around Asia and the Southwest U.S. with teachers, becoming global citizens. Today, the accredited Ross School has 570 students, offers pre-kindergarten through grade 12, and can boast that 100% of its students who apply to college are accepted. They offer an education that motivates and inspires, as a part of a truly unique institution.

Club Starlight Benefit for the Ross School. Saturday, June 20 at 6:30, at the Ross School, 18 Goodfriend Drive in East Hampton. Tickets: $375. Contact Jennifer Rockford at 631-907-5171, or jrockford@ross.org - by end of day Friday, June 19. Tickets will also be available at the door.