Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center Celebrates 15th Annual Get Wild Benefit

Community, Charity & Cause

By Published: June 30 2023

LongIsland.com

Event honoring James Hunter and Fred W. Thiele, Jr.

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Honoree Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and the WRC’s Noelle Dunlop. Photo Credit: R. Cole for Rob Rich/Society Allure

As the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center of the Hamptons continues to rehabilitate and successfully release animals back into the wild across Eastern Long Island, there was more to celebrate at the 15th Annual GET WILD Benefit. James Hunter and Fred W. Thiele, jr. were honored at this year's benefit. The event was hosted at the Sagaponack sculpture field and the event chairs for this year’s benefit were Ingrid Edelman, Jane Gill, Missy Hargraves and Jonathan McCann. The emcee for the event was Joseph Shaw of the Express News Group.

Guests were treated to live music, cocktails, light fare, and a silent auction. All guests were welcomed to the cocktail party, which featured appearances by some of the non-releasable hawks and owls that the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center has rehabilitated and now reside at the Center. All proceeds benefited the native wildlife treated at their hospital.

Notable attendees included: Fred W. Thiele, jr., Jane Gill, Noelle Dunlop, Chris Strub, Missy Hargraves, Bruce Weber, Nan Bush, Jack Bishop, Maryann Marston, Brigid Fitzgerald, Jean Shafiroff, Ingrid Edelman, Sara Shala, Elton Ilirjani, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Pamela Morgan, Roger Sichel, Luisa Diaz, Julie Ratner, Soren White, MD.

Sponsors included:

Great Horned Owl Sponsors
Leslie L. Alexander Foundation, Max, Beau, Bubba, Elliot and Willow Colle, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edelman, Linda Lambert, Penni Ludwig, Katherine Rayner, Andy Sabin Family Foundation, Lisa Baron Schenker and Gregg Schenker

Red Tailed Hawk Sponsors
Bespoke Transportation, Tracey Broxmeyer, Express News Group, Howard Marton, Linda and Russell Munson

Great Blue Heron Sponsor
Richard and Jane Brickell, Dorothy Lichtenstein, James and Margo Nederlander, Louise and Len Riggio, Ellen and Chuck Scarborough

Snowy Egret Sponsor
Christine and Randall Blank, Ron Delsener, Susan Dusenberry, Fiduciary Trust Company, Inc., Brigid Fitzgerald, Pat Garrity, The Corcoran Group, Debora Jacques, The Law Office of John J. Leonard, Maryann and Robert Marston, Jonathan W. McCann, Roberta J.M. Olson and Alexander B.V. Johnson, Christine Seddon-Grofik, Shinnecock Animal Hospital, Jean Shafiroff

Eastern Screech Owl Sponsors
Nan Bush and Bruce Weber Foundation, Martin Markowitz, Marina Neustadt, Rebecca Seltzer, Susan and Bill Siegel, Virginia Stowe, Kimberly Kleinbaum Tsesarsky, Dawn Zelinski, Grover and Debbie Pagano

With Special Thanks to Bespoke Transportation, Channing Daughters Winery, Charles Spitzner Nursery, Express News Group, Lawlor Media Group, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Westhampton Brewing Co, Wolffer Estates Winery

About the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center of The Hamptons
The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, Inc., Eastern Long Island's only wildlife hospital, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of wild animals impacted by human encroachment on their habitat. It is a grass-roots organization that began with a few concerned friends and has grown to include over 3,000 members and supporters. The center operates as a full-service professional wildlife hospital, with licensed rehabilitators, biologists, animal behaviorists, and volunteers on staff. More than 300 people have been trained to help with wildlife rescues. The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center is located on Munn’s Pond Park through a cooperative licensing agreement with Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. The center is located on a greenbelt of public land parcels that stretches from Tiana Bay to Peconic Bay on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. This ecosystem is one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable, with salt and freshwater wetlands, Pine Barrens, deciduous forest, and meadowland. As a result, it is an ideal location for a wildlife rehabilitation center. The hospital is intended solely for wild animals. There are no ambient noises or smells to stress the wildlife that is recovering within, unlike a veterinary hospital. Every year, the Wildlife Rescue Center receives over 10,000 calls for information or assistance regarding wild animal encounters. In addition, the center offers educational programs to local elementary and secondary schools. Local college students participate in cooperative education programs and internships. The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center has an annual operating budget of more than $650,000, almost entirely funded by generous donors.  For more information, visit: www.wildliferescuecenter.org.