The Gala is held around the time of year that Maggie passed away - June 1st, 2017. There is a back story to the event which people may not know. When Maggie was 14, she was asked by her Aunt Alicia, and Uncle Michael, along with her cousins, to be a bridesmaid at their wedding on June 1, 2014. It was a beautiful wedding on a spectacular spring day which was held at the Montauk Yacht Club, a place our family and Maggie loved.

When Maggie passed away, the fact that she had died on such a monumental day in our lives, and hers, a day which held such special memories for us, never entered our minds. We were too caught up in shock, disbelief, and sadness to think about anything else. It is now a day forever etched into our hearts and conjures awful memories of a young girl who didn’t want to die, yet had no choice. The beautiful memories stand in stark contrast to a harsh reality.