At the regular monthly meeting of the Southampton Town Fire Chiefs Council on November 20, 2025, a three-thousand-dollar donation was presented to East End Hospice’s Camp Good Grief program.

The Southampton Town Fire Chiefs Council is made up of chiefs and past-chiefs from all of the fire departments in the Town of Southampton. Riverhead Fire Department and Shelter Island Fire Department are also part of the Chiefs Council due to geographic proximity and a longstanding relationship of cooperation and assistance. The Council meets on a monthly basis to discuss issues of united concern and importance to all of the departments involved, to share information and maintain communications and camaraderie.

For two years now the Southampton Town Chiefs Council has been holding an annual golf outing to raise money to support the organization’s annual scholarships, awards and other activities.

This year the Council decided to also donate a portion of the golf outing proceeds to an identified organization in the Town that also provides a great service to the community. The Chiefs Council selected East End Hospice’s Camp Good Grief as the 2025 recipient organization. A check for $3,000.00 was presented to Lauren Weinclaski from East End Hospice last night at the Southampton Town Chiefs Council meeting.

“Most people are familiar with the exceptional services that East End Hospice provides to those in need,” said Southampton Chiefs Council President, Michael Tortorice. As another part of the amazing services offered by East End Hospice, Camp Good Grief is a free, bereavement day camp for children and teens who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Tortorice, joined by Golf Outing Chairman Ryan White, went on to say, “The Fire Service responds to emergencies everyday and provides people with help at some of their worst times. We are all part of this community too though and recognize that people, and children in particular, experience losses all the time that we, as firefighters, simply cannot interrupt. In the same spirit of showing up during emergencies, we want to continue to show up for our community by supporting Camp Good Grief as a way to continue to help those in need.”

Lauren Weinclaski from East End Hospice was very appreciative to receive the donation on behalf of Camp Good Grief. She thanked the Chiefs Council for all that they do day in and day out to protect the community. She also issued a special thanks for all of the fire departments who worked to save the East End Hospice offices on Old Riverhead Road from the perils of the wildfires back in March of 2025.

For more information about Camp Good Grief, please visit www.eehcampgoodgrief.org