Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than 100 residents gathered at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park for the annual Garden Party fundraiser hosted by the Community Foundation of Oyster Bay, an event organizers said helps sustain local social service organizations and expand awareness of the foundation’s mission.
The May 14 fundraiser, held on the grounds of Planting Fields for the third consecutive year, drew approximately 130 attendees, including longtime supporters and many first-time guests, according to Julia Vaughn, president of the foundation’s Board of Trustees.
“It’s really nice that we’re spreading the word about what we’re doing,” Vaughn said in an interview after the event, “because it’s always difficult to take an organization that previous generations have supported so heartily and then bring it to the next generation.”
The Community Foundation of Oyster Bay was founded in 1965 by residents including Abby and George O’Neil and Ethel Roosevelt Derby, youngest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. According to Vaughn, the organization’s original mission of serving as a “community safety net” remains unchanged six decades later.
“The idea was simple to provide a community safety net for our neighbors in need,” Vaughn said during remarks at the fundraiser. “Here we are on our 62nd year, and we have remained true to the original cause.”
The foundation raises money throughout the year to support organizations providing social services in Oyster Bay and surrounding communities. Beneficiaries currently include the Youth and Family Counseling Agency, People’s Pantry, the Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich, the WaterFront Center and the Life Enrichment Center at Oyster Bay, among others.
Vaughn said the foundation also funds scholarships, including a college scholarship awarded annually to an Oyster Bay High School graduating senior.
“These organizations are the first responders,” Vaughn emphasized during the fundraiser. “And when there’s a crisis, thanks to your generous support, the foundation can be nimble.”
According to Vaughn, the Garden Party serves not only as the foundation’s principal fundraiser, but also as an opportunity to educate residents about the needs facing local nonprofits and the role the foundation plays in directing aid where it is most needed.
“We’re doing really valuable work, oftentimes under the radar, because all we are doing is raising money to give away to partner organizations that help people in need in our community,” Vaughn explained. “We have boots on the ground and we know where the needs are.”
She emphasized that all money raised through the Garden Party and the foundation’s annual fund is distributed directly to partner organizations because operating expenses are covered through the Abby and George O’Neil Endowment Fund.
During the event, Vaughn thanked the foundation’s volunteer board members and the Garden Party Committee, as well as Planting Fields for hosting the event.
“Standing here before you tonight and seeing both long term supporters and new faces, it reminds me what an honor it is to be a part of a community that truly cares for one another and continues to support each other,” Vaughn concluded. “It’s the reason why so many of us have chosen to raise our families here, and why the next generation keeps coming back.”
For more information on the Community Foundation, their work and how to support them, visit OysterBayCF.org.
