Fashion Leaders Gather for East Hampton's School's Out Fundraiser to Fundraiser for LGBTQ Youth

New York, NY - The Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) announced the 13th annual School's Out fundraiser supporting critical after-school programs for New York City's at-risk LGBTQ youth. The event, which raised $200,000 last year, is a chance for friends and supporters of HMI to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year for the agency and the more than 2,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people served annually.

"This is the seventh year we have opened our home to School's Out," said Scott Sanders about the East Hampton estate he shares with his partner Peter Wilson. "We have been very blessed in our lives, and feel it is important to give back to the community - and no one is more deserving than the LGBTQ youth that call HMI home."

"Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ youth to thrive in is as important during the summer as it is throughout the school year," said Andy Cohen, Bravo's Executive Vice-President of Development & Talent and host of Watch What Happens Live.

"School's Out raises money to help ensure that the doors at the Hetrick-Martin Institute remain open all summer long - a time when much of the funding dries up until the fall - and that hundreds of LGBTQ youth continue to receive life-saving support and programs. I can't think of a better way to kick off summer than to spend it in the Hamptons raising money for this incredible cause - our young people!"

"It's an honor for me on a personal level to once again co-chair this important fundraiser," said Brendan Monaghan, the Associate Publisher of GQ. "It's an opportunity for everyone who attends or sponsors the event, like Armani Exchange, to contribute towards the futures of thousands of at-risk LGBTQ youth who rely on HMI for support, services and community."

"I've seen the money we collect at this fundraiser change lives," said Bobby Graham, the event's co-chair and Advertising Director at Lucky Magazine.

"The Hetrick-Martin Institute welcomes anyone who's been bullied out of their schools or pushed out of their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If it weren't for HMI and this fundraiser there would be a lot more LGBTQ youth without futures to look towards."

"This event has become a celebrated tradition for the LGBTQ community," said Thomas Krever, Executive Director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute. "Not only does it kick off the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, but it reminds us all how important it is to invest in the future of our LGBTQ youth and provide them with the resources they need to be successful in their lives."

DETAILS:
WHAT
HMI's 13th annual School's Out cocktail party and fundraiser

WHERE
The East Hampton home of Peter Wilson and Scott Sanders
189 Further Lane, East Hampton, NY

WHEN
Saturday, June 9, 2012
From 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Advance tickets for the event are available for individuals at $350. Sponsorship opportunities range from $650 to $10,000.

For more information please visit www.hmi.org/SchoolsOut