The Community Foundation’s 19th annual Summer’s Last Blast event, with nearly 400 people in attendance, was held on Friday, September 8th at Weatherlow Farms in Westport. The annual fundraiser was a great success, thanks to the generous support of many sponsors and individuals. Summer’s Last Blast supports the work of the Community Foundation, which is focused on the arts, education, economic opportunity, and racial equity within 41 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts.
The highlight of the evening was the introduction of Dr. Melanie Edwards-Tavares as the new President and CEO of the Community Foundation. Following a welcome by Board Chair Gail Fortes, Dr. Edwards-Tavares addressed the crowd, “Tomorrow we are going to get up, and many of the challenges that we are working hard to overcome, are still going to be there. But, you know what else is going to be there? Some new opportunities on the horizon. I want you to know that when challenges come and when opportunities come, I’m going to be standing with you. I’m going to be standing with you as your foundation president, and I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do together.”
The evening continued with dancing and music by GQ & the Lady, conversations under the stars, and s’mores at firepits overlooking Westport’s beautiful landscape.