Holiday House Hamptons

Many charitable organizations are formed because a human misfortune has become more and more common. Breast cancer is one of these. Often champions for the cause, sometimes victims themselves, step forward and create new ways to raise awareness and funds to help prevent future spreading of the disease and to find a cure. The late Evelyn H. Lauder, former Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estee Lauder Companies and a breast cancer survivor herself, was one of these champions. In 1993 Mrs. Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and became its Chairman. Inspired by her own experience as a breast cancer survivor, in 1989 she initiated the fundraising drive that established a state-of-the art breast and diagnostic center at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Since 1993 BCRF has raised more than half a billion dollars for lifesaving breast cancer research. Sadly, Mrs. Lauder passed away in 2011, but the momentum at BCRF continued with its passion for a cure, including expanding to the Hamptons.

One of the early annual Hamptons fundraising events, established by BCRF’s CEO and President Myra Biblowit in 2011, was “Girls Night Out” at Gurney’s Inn in Montauk, an evening of pampering for, and modeling by, the Guests. Gurney’s was owned at the time by the Monte Family.
At about the same time, realizing that there was a natural synergy among the goals of BCRF, top interior designers and real estate, Myra established Holiday House NYC. The concept was to showcase rooms individually designed by top interior designers, along with the featured property itself.
In 2013, Evelyn’s close friend, and a breast cancer survivor and interior designer herself, Iris Dankner took the concept to the Hamptons, where everyone loves to talk about real estate and “location, location, location”. Iris became Founder and Creative Director of the Holiday House Design Shows. Four times since 2013, top local real estate companies have been more than happy to share tours of their currently featured property to help BCRF raise money. At the time brothers Zachary and Cody Vichinsky were about to open Bespoke Real Estate. They felt it would be a perfect way to launch their new venture. The HHH Showhouse that year was at 4 Fair Hills Lane in Bridgehampton. The following year’s location was The Corcoran Group’s Watchcase in Sag Harbor, a unique property which combines country and city living in a unique way.
Douglas Elliman Real Estate followed in 2016 at 100 Crescent Avenue in Water Mill, which featured a rooftop, ocean view tennis court.
In 2019, 90 Wild Goose Lane, a property being marketed by Sotheby’s International Real Estate, was featured.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 this year, Iris had to make the difficult decision to cancel the event, which would have taken place at The Corcoran Group’s 30 Wainscott Stone Highway. Instead a decision was made to produce a Virtual Designer Showhouse, assembling works by more than 20 Interior Designers, each of whom created a special Hamptons themed room, which they donated for showing in the virtual tour.
Hopefully, Evelyn Lauder’s dream will come true, and there will soon be many more breast cancer survivors than victims.
www.bcrf.org