It is hard to believe we opened the doors of Famille a year ago –
The loyalty and support from all our “famille” has made us a success – has made us feel welcome – and has given us a new chapter in our community –
Heartfelt thanks to you all – you too are as “Fine, Rare, and Unique” as our jewel box of a shop.
XO-
Kim, Randy, Warren & Betsy
editorial
editorial director Cristin Marandino editor Eileen Murphy advisory editor Donna Moffly
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senior art director Venera Alexandrova
senior art director/status report Garvin Burke production director Tim Carr assistant art director Lisa Servidio
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Liz Barron, Tom Connor, Elizabeth Keyser, Julie O’Brien Deasy, Georgette Yacoub
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Because that’s what matters to us.
Iwas recently at a neighbor’s birthday party, and some friends asked how we come up with the stories we feature in this magazine. The answer is that each story winds up on our radar in a very different way—but the common thread is that we spend a lot of time listening to people in our community. This issue is a perfect example of that.
Last year, I attended the “Stronger Together” team dinner for the Darien and New Canaan football teams ahead of the annual Turkey Bowl. The goal was for the teams to set aside their rivalry for the evening and talk about mental health. People in Darien have been working hard to destigmatize men’s mental health since the devastating loss of three male high school students in the spring of 2022. Inspired by their work, writer Tom Connor took a deep dive into this important subject with his must-read special report on page 78.
“The Best Kept Secret on the Sound” (page 18) found its way to my desk after a reader stumbled upon our article about Island Mike’s sailboat charters in a past issue at his doctor’s office. He called to pitch a story about a local teen maritime leadership program. I listened and waited until the end of the pitch before telling him my teenage daughter was actually one of the crew members. Writer Liz Barron followed up and came away with a wonderful piece on how this program is building confidence and resiliency in teens.
Last, but certainly not least, is our cover story. After meeting photographer Katherine Calderwood at a photo shoot for our March/ April cover, we got together for coffee. She told me about a young woman from Darien who was training to qualify for the Paralympics after losing her leg in a shark attack less than a year before. I knew immediately we needed to share her story (page 66), especially after learning Ali Truwit was one of our Teens to Watch back in
2018, when she was graduating from St. Luke’s and heading to Yale.
Thinking back on all that Ali has accomplished since 2018 makes you wonder what the future holds for this year’s group of amazing teens (see page 42). Like Ali, they think about how they are going to change the world—be it through studying computers and artificial intelligence, providing medical aid to those in need, serving in government or becoming entrepreneurs and founders of nonprofits.
Just as we will be cheering on Ali in the Paralympics, we will be cheering on this year’s teens as they pursue their dreams. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these talented kids accomplishes something that we write about in a future issue of this magazine and we get to see them again—maybe even on our cover!
eileen.murphy@moffly.com
An independent, college preparatory day school, providing character-based education for boys in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.
VISITORS TO PHILIP JOHNSON’S IDYLLIC GLASS HOUSE IN NEW CANAAN ARE NOW ABLE TO GET A PEEK INSIDE THE PROPERTY’S GUEST HOUSE
by eileen murphy
After being closed to the public for 17 years, the Brick House reopened this spring following a major renovation led by The National Trust for Historic Preservation. In contrast to the transparent Glass House, the almost entirely opaque Brick House afforded privacy to Philip Johnson’s famous guests, like artists Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. The reopening of the Brick House was held in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of The Glass House. Tours are available from April 15 through December 15. Tickets are available at theglasshouse.org.
by julie o’brien deasy
The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society recently made history of its own with the opening of the Jim and Dede Bartlett Center for New Canaan History. This exhibit space is part of an overall “Campus Reimagined” project that started four years ago and is now in its final stages.
The new Bartlett Center focuses on “Making a Difference in New Canaan”—celebrating the people, businesses, art and architecture that have made their mark over the years.
While the museum has always chronicled New Canaan’s journey from its colonial roots to the present day, it is now more visitor-friendly than ever. “This is the first time there has been a self-guided place to learn about the town’s history,” explained Nancy Geary, the museum’s executive director. “We wanted to create a vibrant space where visitors could learn about the evolution of New Canaan through its 223 years.”
One highlight is “Changemakers,” an interactive exhibit that tells stories of 50 visionaries and leaders who have made a difference in New Canaan. They include artists, architects, captains of industry and community leaders.
One display shows how the town’s perception has changed over time. While New Canaan is now proud to be nationally recognized for its midcentury modern architecture, and as the home of the Harvard 5, a collection of letters from the 1940s and ’50s show residents at the time were upset by the radically different style—a reminder that change is not always warmly embraced.
The town's transformation is also evident in a short film that chronicles downtown’s evolution comparing past structures and maps to today.
In addition to the Bartlett Center, there are several other additions to
Guests enjoy the new interactive exhibits.
the museum grounds. The largest is the Jim Bach Special Collections Museum, where an entire wall of windows dramatically displays a restored 1825 Demarest Carriage.
Recently, the museum partnered with New Canaan Library on an art installation in the windows of their original 1913 building. Librarians chose six “Changemakers” from the museum's original group of 50.
“I was looking for people who had a connection to the library,” said Ellen Crovatto, VP of philanthropy and external affairs for New Canaan Library. Those include Philip Johnson and Eliot Noyes, whose architecture inspired the new building’s design, and Ruth Lapham Lloyd, benefactor of the original building’s Lapham Wing.
Visitors can scan a QR code near the exhibit to view source materials from the library’s archives about these New Canaanites.
The installation holds special
significance as the 1913 building was the Historical Society’s first home before it relocated to Oenoke Ridge in the 1960s.“In a way, we are like brother and sister,” said Crovatto, who was inspired by “the ability to serve our joint missions and the opportunity for there to be great learning in the community.”
This community learning is what drives the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society to not only preserve stories of the town’s past, but craft its own future. And if history is any indication, the next generation of “Changemakers'' will carry on a long tradition of “Making a Difference in New Canaan.”
by liz barron
A LOCAL MARITIME PROGRAM GIVES TEENS FAR MORE THAN JUST A DAY AT SEA
Since its inception in 1954, Ship 6 has been providing opportunities for local teens to learn the ins and outs of sailing and life on the water. Ship 6’s main cruising/racing vessel, a 37-foot sailboat named the Celebration II, has called Norwalk’s Cove Marina home for more than 30 years. This unique program provides an opportunity like no other for young people to experience all that is entailed in maintaining and operating a boat.
“It’s not like cleaning a bedroom, it’s a very different level of learning responsibility. It’s about understanding what’s important and getting it done all while prioritizing safety, problem solving and being adaptable,” says skipper Kai Horan who has been volunteering with the program for nearly two decades.
While many of the Ship 6 team members have some prior sailing experience, it’s not required. Anyone over the age of 14 is welcome to participate. The teens, led by mentor volunteer crew members, are taught how to work on the boat and be responsible for everything from engine maintenance, mending sails, oil changes and painting the boat’s hull. “Ship 6 has allowed me to
learn many nautical and leadership skills like navigating using paper charts, a skill that many boaters today do not learn and it’s an extremely beneficial skill to learn as it allows for a greater understanding of our local waters,” says RJ Fields, a Ship 6 member from Wilton. The program has an impressive racing resume, and has racked up a lengthy list of awards, including placing first in their division on the Long Island Sound last
summer—all while being one of the only teen-led competitive sailboat racing against adult crews. As a SeaScouts program, Ship 6 also has a focus on community service and concentrates its efforts on environmental projects like helping to clean up the Long Island Sound. The crew has done everything from building life jacket stands for Calf Pasture Beach to pulling balloons out of the sound and volunteering at a boat camp for underserved children.
The experiences learned as a crew member can often be helpful in everyday adult life. Confidence, clear thinking and solid decision making are all integral on and off the water. Learning boat safety skills like fire preparedness and practicing man overboard drills help build a strong base of life skills. “The program boosted my confidence in a way that would’ve taken much longer otherwise,” says Kelsey McClung, Ship 6 member and Norwalk resident. “At the beginning of high school, I was self-conscious, and my experience on Ship 6 helped me realize my own capabilities in handling situations—even when something unexpected happens and you have to think on your feet to solve the problem.”
Planning and crew communication are also key to boat synchronicity as well as everyday life. There are a number of leadership positions that Ship
6 crew members are elected to— like boatswain, purser, yeoman and mate. Fields says his experience as boatswain helped him grow my leadership capabilities. “This role is in charge of planning and assigning tasks, as well as running weekly meetings,” Fields explains. “I learned how to delegate tasks effectively and how to organize and facilitate communications between crew members. I have also used the same scheduling/time management strategies developed while in Ship 6 to help organize tasks in my personal life.”
“ ship 6 helped me realize my own capabilities in handling situations—even when something unexpected happens and you have to think on your feet to solve the problem. ”
— kelsey mcclung
Opposite:
and lines to chartplotting.
Being a positive team player, encouraging other crew members and staying true to the course even amid challenges are all key to achieving goals, and nobody understands that more than the Ship 6 crew. McClung credits Ship 6 with not only improving her leadership skills, but also teaching her the importance of teamwork.
“Our skipper always says that sailing is a team sport, and that’s 100-percent true,” she explains. “Every change someone makes affects the rest of the boat. It’s so important to communicate.”
The Ship 6 crew logged 900+ miles last summer and that time on the water has helped the teens develop skills to overcome adversity, both physically and mentally. Crew members need to remain focused and alert at all times, which can be taxing during the longer sails. McClung says the biggest challenge she has faced while in Ship 6 is maintaining concentration, specifically during races where being alert is key. When she first started in the program, she could barely sail three hours without being exhausted. Now she has no problem managing a 12-hour sail.
“Learning how to persevere and helping my teammates to do the same has been such a good experience,” she says. Fields agrees that focus and attention to detail are critically important on the water. “When sailing, the conditions are ever-changing. This means that doing any job on the boat, from trimming sails to keeping a lookout, requires the utmost attention,” he explains. “An improperly trimmed sail could make a huge difference when in a racing environment, yet it is hard to keep the same level of focus for multiple hours.” Fields explains that the crew works together
“ witnessing that moment when everything starts to click, the team accomplishes their goal, a new perspective is learned or a teen realizes what they are really capable of is what makes it all worth while." —kai horan, skipper
to overcome this challenge by rotating people through positions and taking shifts on longer overnight races.
Ship 6 crew members aren’t just taking away a lifelong passion for being on the water, but also a shared experience of growth and leadership that would be hard to match anywhere else. “Ship 6 is a very special and unique opportunity that is not available anywhere else,” says Horan.
“Witnessing that moment when everything starts to click, the team accomplishes their goal, a new perspective is learned, or a teen realizes what they are really capable of is what makes it all worthwhile.”
Ship 6’s sailing season runs from April to November. In the winter, indoor meetings are held every Tuesday evening at Rex Marine in Norwalk. Ship 6’s agenda includes improving sailing skills, planning for the coming season, team building, recruiting and fundraising. This self-funded program relies on both individual and industry support and is able to successfully operate thanks to generous donors like Cove Marina and Rex Marine.
For more information on Ship 6 and ways to get involved visit norwalkship6.org
by
Don’t drink cow’s milk. It causes inflammation. Oh, and almond milk? It’s full of additives and sweeteners. Soy milk? Horrible for your hormones. How about oat milk? It has heavy metals that can cause cancer.
The nutrition space has always been riddled with rules—eat this and don’t eat that. That’s never been more true than it is in the age of social media.
“Anyone can jump on Instagram and start dishing out advice,” says Chrissie Engles, founder of Chrissie Engles Nutrition. “There’s truth in some of it, of course, but what happens is that complex things are being talked about in black and white.”
While some have the best intentions, fitness and nutrition influencers are caught between two goals. On the one hand, they want to help people live healthier lives. On the other, they must capture viewers’ attention quickly so that the algorithm decides the video is worthy of sharing with more people.
Effective nutrition comes down to the fundamentals—like eating more vegetables. But when scrolling Instagram, “How to add more vegetables in your diet” doesn’t grab your attention like something with shock value would, like “The seed oil in your salad dressing is slowly killing you.”
“Most people can start seeing progress in their health and body composition by just focusing on the basics,” says Engles. “Like getting enough protein, regularly moving their bodies and having a diet where 80% of what you eat is healthy and whole and the other 20% is for the foods that bring you joy – like pizza and french fries.”
But those bits of sage advice are not flashy enough to get readers to stop scrolling, so instead people are inundated with videos about seed oils, the carnivore diet and
microplastics—sometimes from people who don’t even have the proper credentials to be dishing out nutrition advice anyway. “The anxiety this type of content induces is worse for you than eating french fries one night a week,” says Engles.
So where should you turn to get proper information on nutrition?
Reputable scientists and PhDs, like Andrew Huberman and Layne Norton are a great place to start. Also, people in your community, like Engles, who have the proper credentials to help people achieve their aesthetic and health goals.
Engles is a certified nutrition coach based in Fairfield County. She pulls from her own journey where she had to adjust her mindset away from labeling foods “good” and “bad,” and believing that the only way to lose weight was to not eat.
“Culturally, those things were driven into my mind growing up. I had to re-train my mindset around those things in order to make progress, and those are some of the things I help my clients with,” she says.
Engles works with clients looking to lose body fat, build muscle, enhance performance, and live longer and healthier lives.
www.chrissieenglesnutrition.com
“most people can start seeing progress in their health and body composition by just focusing on the basics. like getting enough protein, regularly moving their bodies and having a diet where 80% of what you eat is healthy and whole and the other 20% is for the foods that bring you joy —like pizza and french fries.”
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CHEF LUKE VENNER TEAMS UP WITH CINEMALABS TO ELEVATE THE CLASSIC TAVERN EXPERIENCE AT THE PUB AT THE NEW CANAAN PLAYHOUSE
It’s the smallest, cutest pub in the center of town. Seating 18, with sidewalk seating adding room for 30 people, The Pub’s soothing palette of blues and greens sets a tone of cozy, relaxed conviviality. Art, design, craftsmanship and attention to detail draw the eye everywhere; even the air conditioning ducts are clad in copper. CinemaLab’s design directors Kirsten Childs and Daniela Parker Bowles took their cues from the historic 1923 New Canaan Playhouse, sourcing unglazed Victorian tiles, salvaging a 100-year-old bar and lining a wall with a plush emerald banquette.
The smell of buttered popcorn wafts through the door of The Pub. Not a surprise, as it is located inside the New Canaan Playhouse, the gorgeously renovated 100-year-old movie house that recently reopened with two screening rooms. The Pub’s menu is intentionally small, and blends New England coastal with English comfort food, expertly prepared by Chef Luke Venner of Elm, located just down the street. Working on The Pub’s concept with CinemaLab CEO Luke Parker Bowles allowed Venner to step outside the realm of fine dining to create the pub burger of his dreams and crack the code of English “chips” (essentially American steakhouse fries) and refine them.
Before food, The Pub offers a more bountiful choice of drink, selected by bar beverage manager Javier Santoro, alum of the Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s empire. This is, after all, a pub—a family-friendly place to nurse a pint of craft brew or sip a glass of wine, perhaps trying a Pieropan Soave instead of the usual Sancerre. Santoro has also created a menu of ten classic cocktails, including a smoky espresso martini. (Moviegoers can take drinks into the screening rooms.)
Appetizers are shareable. The chef roasts fresh and briny East Coast oysters beneath a wasabi-tinged crust and sprinkles them with Meyer lemon juice, for a warm, buttery mouthful of sea minerality with a touch of
heat. He pipes deviled eggs high with creamy, mustardy yolks, scattered with chives and Spanish paprika. They are soft, rich and satisfying. More virtuous yet still tasty, the smoked carrot hummus comes with crudités and grilled sourdough.
Caesar Salad features crisp Little Gem lettuce, parmesan croutons and anchovies. Chinois Chicken Salad—the Wolfgang Puck 1983 classic devoured by many a Hollywood star since then— is crunchy with cabbage, cashews and wonton strips tossed in a vinaigrette of honey mustard.
The two mains are Fish and Chips and the Pub Burger. Both come with Chef Venner’s cross-Atlantic chips/steakhouse fries, which
Clockwise from above: The Pub’s menu is also served in the second floor members’ Marquee Lounge. Luke Parker Bowles in the lobby of the renovated movie house, which boasts two plush screening rooms. From the concession stand to the vintage-style wallpaper to the original marquee, stylists Kirsten Childs and Daniela Parker Bowles were inspired by the theater's rich history.
“ creating the menu, chef luke and i had to overcome the language barrier of the meanings of fries, frites and chips, as i tried to explain what we needed for the fish and chips. one day he said ‘i’ve cracked it! you want steakhouse fries.’” —luke parker bowles, cinemalab ceo
he cuts into flat, long rectangles before deepfrying. Halibut is the white flaky fish inside the golden brown batter. The English are known for drenching the fish in malt vinegar, which The Pub serves on the side in a ramekin. Americans are more likely to spread on the remoulade, which the chef has spiked with chopped kimchi, adding a mild pickled tang.
The Pub Burger is the most popular, a thick patty of dry-aged Pat LaFrieda beef blend, simply topped with sharp English cheddar, crisp, shaved Vidalia onion and a secret sauce
aptly named “Hollywood,” given The Pub’s location inside a cinema. Well-seasoned and juicy, the burger is served with sweet breadand-butter pickles and the aforementioned luscious flat rectangles of golden-fried potatoes sprinkled with sea salt.
Dessert is sticky toffee pudding, a far cry from Luke Parker Bowles' dreary English boarding school dessert memories. This rich, moist cake is drenched in Banana Dulce de Leche and topped with vanilla buttercream.
The Pub’s menu is also offered on the second floor in the Marquee Lounge for members. The Playhouse’s concession room, across the entry alcove and open to the public, serves coffee all day, and locally baked sweet and savory treats, like empanadas and cookies.
Parker Bowles wants The Playhouse and its public and private spaces to become places for people to gather or just hang out. They are available for private rental, too. Parker Bowles, who lives in Montclair, New Jersey, is a movie producer determined to bring back historic cinemas with pubs to the center of American cities and towns. New Canaan Playhouse is the fourth theater CinemaLab has opened, and more are slated.
A photo of Parker Bowles' father Simon hangs on the wall of The Pub. He owned and operated the prominent Mayfair restaurant Greens from 1983 to 2016. Politicians and members of the royal family were frequent guests. (Simon Parker Bowles’ brother Andrew is the ex-husband of Camilla, the Queen Consort to King Charles III.)
The photo of Simon Parker Bowles “looks over the place, given his 60 years of experience in the restaurant world,” says Luke Parker Bowles. “The picture also reminds me to be a good host, a kind person and a professional operator. Just as he was and is.”
The Pub is indeed a place that invites one to linger over an early or late lunch or dinner. Alone, with a friend or in a group, it’s the kind of place where you’ll probably start chatting with a stranger. There’s a lot to talk about. There’s a really cool new cinema and pub in town.
Open every day beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Guests were whisked away on sunset cruises, enjoying waterside views of Greens Ledge Lighthouse at the second annual Light the Night event. The benefit drew a crowd of 230 to support the landmark’s ongoing preservation and educational initiatives. As part of “The Next 100 Years” campaign, $225,000 was raised toward the purchase of a Munson water taxi to increase access to this historic community asset. savegreensledge.org »
1 Greens Ledge Lighthouse 2 Terri Walker, Chris Walker, Nancy Buck, Pete Schmidt-Fellner, Diane Schmidt-Fellner, Pete Buck 3 Kay Garrett, Bethany Scott, Jenny Gresinger, Michelle Juj, Megan Hudson 4 Anne Walker, Tracy Duncan, Buell Duncan, Board President and Co-founder Tim Pettee 5 Board Member and Co-founder Brendan McGee, Christine McGee, Gavin McGee 6 Steve Ward, Karen Tapella, Gary Tapella, Board Member Peter Tombros 7 David and Alice Radulski 8 Board member and co-founder Alex Pettee with dog Sadie
Dining al fresco, art and design enthusiasts celebrated the 75th anniversary of The Glass House in New Canaan with a gourmet picnic and lawn party. Guests admired Philip Johnson’s award-winning architecture, along with the expansive landscape and recently restored Brick House (see more on page 15), open to the public for the first time in 16 years. Ed Ruscha, the featured Summer Party artist, said his work was inspired by the property’s “reflections and shadows from glass windows and doors.”
Listening to DJ Rachel Winters spinning summer tunes, attendees were treated to an art installation showcasing various artists, a Max Mara shopping experience, wine and handcrafted cocktails as well as a catered picnic by Elm. theglasshouse.org »
Nestled in the heart of the Catskills and just a short drive from New York City, Windham Mountain Club (WMC) is a sanctuary for year-round adventurers of all ages that bring families closer in every season. Standing as the preeminent destination for thoughtfully elevated and intentionally uncrowded mountain living, this premiere, publicprivate mountain community seamlessly blends world-class skiing with exclusive luxury amenities, offering an unparalleled experience for winter weekend guests and private club members.
“Our goal is to provide the best overall skiing and riding experience in the Northeast,” says President Chip Seamans. “With uncrowded slopes for the public and our members, our ski racing and development programs, and extraordinary culinary offerings, we aim to create a remarkable end-to-end experience at Windham Mountain Club.”
Windham Mountain Club stands on a foundation rich in history, originating in the early 1960s with the establishment of Cave Mountain Ski Area. In 2024, the experienced luxury hospitality families of Sandy Beall and Kemmons Wilson (KWC Management) came on board as new majority owners. With over 100 years of combined industry experience, this experienced team placed emphasis on reshaping the resort into a four-season luxury destination and provided a historic investment of $70 million. Sandy Beall is Founder of Land Hospitality, a company that brings premier four-season private communities to life for unparalleled experiences, and best known as Chairman and Co-Founder of Blackberry Farm, a Relais and Chateux and Wine Spectator Grand Award property, and Blackberry Mountain, listed for Vogue’s 2024 Top 10 Best Spa Resorts in the United States.
“Our focus is creating memorable experiences, from a day on the mountain to an afternoon on the water or fairway, to summer mornings spent in holistic fitness and total rejuvenation. Windham Mountain Club will offer truly special experiences that guests will look forward to year after year,”
Sandy Beall
Chairman and Co-Founder of Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain
Windham Mountain Club is a haven for those who appreciate luxury in every detail and value quality family time. Savvy skiers, diners, and outdoor enthusiasts will take note of improved, automated snowmaking and grooming, six different restaurants to choose from across the mountain (with more concepts on the way), and next up in the development pipeline, year-round luxury residences just steps away from the slopes. At the heart of Windham Mountain Club is a close-knit community that values connection, camaraderie, and shared experiences. Premiere events, social gatherings, annual mountain traditions, and members-only experiences foster a sense of belonging, making WMC not just a destination, but a second home. Whether you’re sharing stories over dinner or participating in a group hike, the spirit of community is ever-present. Children at Windham Mountain Club can embark on their own journeys of discovery, from exhilarating downhill skiing adventures to exploring forested trails and marveling at starlit skies. It’s
clear that here, young adventurers will create deep connections with nature and forge lasting friendships.
The recent developmental changes have catapulted Windham Mountain Club towards becoming a destination that is worth more than just a visit. Members and guests can embark on extraordinary journeys filled with unexpected delights–whether it’s a personalized wine or token of appreciation, every moment is curated to surprise and enchant. What will be obvious to anyone visiting Windham Mountain Club for the first time is that membership provides more than just access, it’s an investment in a lifestyle rich with memorable experiences. The transformation from charming local favorite to an elevated, world-class destination is well underway, and those in the know are eager to be a part of Windham’s storied evolution.
Partygoers packed the dance floor at “Celebrate New Canaan,” especially for the band’s rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey. Billed as “a magical evening of dinner and dancing,” the annual fundraiser raised more than $150,000 for the New Canaan Museum and Historical Society. More than 330 people gathered for an actionpacked night of live music by Fake ID, a dinner catered by Diane Browne and a whiskey tasting from Litchfield Brewery. An event highlight was the dedication of the Jim and Dede Bartlett Center for New Canaan History. Proceeds from the paddle-raise will go toward the museum’s Campus Reimagined Project—a $2 million campus overhaul. nchistory.org »
1 Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll, Selectman Steve Karl, Jim Bartlett, Dede Bartlett, State Rep. Tom O’Dea 2 Board of Governors with executive director Nancy Geary, Jim and Dede Bartlett and their guests. 3 John Ellis, Charlotte Engel, Jillian Flynn, Harry Walker 4 Michael Dinan, Eileen Murphy, Meredith Bach, Whitney Williams, Terry Dinan 5 Claire and Alex Foster 6 Dave and Sue Squier, Eileen and John Hill 7 Tom and Janice Luddy 8 Jennifer Ray, Allison Benenson, Erin Lacerna, Cynthia Saffi, Jaime Gentile 9 Emcee and auctioneer Christian Murphy 10 Sarah and Alec Casey, John and Meg Walsh 11 Dede and Jim Bartlett, Mary and Mike Franco, Bob Doran 12 Christen Farley, Sarah Casey, Jane Schoenholz, Nancy Geary 13 Ribbon cutting with Jim and Dede Bartlett
The Child of America Gala brought together more than 200 supporters to help provide educational experiences for students in need. The fundraiser, held May 17 at Shorehaven Golf Club in Norwalk, raised more than $500,000 for Carver’s summer programs serving 1,430 students. Guests enjoyed a live band and auction, while honoring local leaders and celebrating Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin’s 20th anniversary with the foundation. Peterkin thanked the crowd for making a “profound impact” by helping students “thrive and succeed.” the-carver.org »
1 Andrea and Nathan Gottlieb, Drew and Kim Seath 2 Board President Phil Butterfield, CT State Treasurer Erick Russell, Stephanie Thomas, Chris Lyddy, Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin 3 Jennifer and Andrew Ryan 4 George Bauer 5 Caroline Hannigan, Annalisa Blevins, Elizabeth Parija, Jaimee Michaud, Kellee Abdelwahab, Frances Sacripanti, Julie Bennett, Kasey Pinchin, Cara Kelly, Brooke Sorenson 6 Novelette Peterkin, Phil Butterfield, Jody Neaderland, David Neaderland (Sound Control Technologies, Community Builder Award recipient) 7 Carver Board Director Jonathan Whitcomb and Novelette Peterkin 8 Cara Kelly, Kasey Pinchin, Julie Bennett, Kellee Abdelwahab, Jennifer Ryan 9 Kellee and Sam Abdelwahab 10 CT Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, Gala Honoree Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Novelette Peterkin
NEW CANAAN CARES / Home Tour Patron Party
After the New Canaan Cares Home Tour on May 31, a post-tour Patron Party provided an exclusive look at a sixth “bonus” home. Guests enjoyed design inspiration, live music, light bites, cocktails and a special tablescape presentation. The Patron Party is a new addition to the popular annual event, which just marked its 31st year. This year’s tour, Connection by Design, featured five stunning homes with distinctive takes on style and architecture. Funds raised from the tour support New Canaan Cares’ efforts to “advance the health and well-being of youth and families.” newcanaancares.org. »
With a mission to improve health worldwide, Americares welcomed more than 400 guests at the annual Airlift Benefit at JFK International Airport’s TWA Hotel. Producer and award-winning actor Bryan Cranston hosted the April 11 festivities, raising more than $1.9 million for the cause. Cranston, along with Americares board member and actor/ director/producer Tony Goldwyn, surprised the crowd by auctioning off coveted invites to movie premieres and backstage passes to a Broadway show. The event commemorated the organization’s 45th anniversary. »
crowns & bridges
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | Avon Theatre, Stamford, CT Tickets are extremely limited. Reserve your spot at avontheatre.org
1 Paul Ostling, Nick Howard, Luke Parker Bowles, Andy Childs, Brandon Jones, State Reps. Tom O’Dea and Lucy Dathan, State Sen. Ryan Fazio, First Selectman Dianna Carlson 2 Bob Hamill, Bill Pratt 3 Kevin and Mim Moynihan, Cathy and Rich Townsend
4 Claire and Jonathan Cheng, Julie Toal, Brittney and Clem Pascarella
5 Brandon Jones, Vincenzo Ornorati, Andy Childs, Luke Parker Bowles 6 Tom and Jayne Benton 7 Greg Reilly, O’Dea, Elm’s John Barker 8 Mike Mauro, Patrick Wilson, Missy Mauro 9 Alicia Bohn, Daniela Parker Bowles, Kristen Childs 10 Dionna and David Carlson
The incredible transformation of the New Canaan Playhouse was recently revealed at a premiere party celebrating all those who had a hand in reopening the historic theater. Guests included members of the CinemaLabs team and local officials, who worked closely together to complete the massive renovation project. After walking the red carpet, attendees enjoyed a tour of the two screening rooms, the members lounge and The Pub (see more on page 24) before settling in for a screening of the newly released movies If or A Quiet Place.
Welcome to John’s Island. A cherished ocean-to-river haven enjoyed by generations who have discovered the undeniable allure of life by the sea in Vero Beach, Florida. A picturesque seaside landscape and near perfect climate complement the serene offerings, each of which combine luxury with traditional appeal, architectural details, spacious living areas, and lush grounds. Discover the ideal place to call home with beachside bliss in Florida...
This year’s teens are committed to service. They are athletes and musicians. They are writers, programmers and chess players. And they are ready to change the world!
In the fall I will be… attending the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences.
The best part about my school was… the willingness of my peers to participate in anything. When everyone takes part in dressing up for football games or comes to a cookout in the parking lot, everything is more fun.
In ten years, I hope to be… continuing to serve my community in whatever way I can, whether that be as a volunteer EMT or picking up trash.
Volunteering at Post 53 provides me with… endless opportunities for self-improvement. From giving crew members feedback and public speaking during our weekly meetings to being assertive for my crew and patients on hectic highway calls, Post constantly creates situations where teenagers are expected to act as adults. I find myself with new challenges daily but am not afraid to step up or speak up because of their constant presence.
My dream job would be… an ambassador. Though this is a lofty dream, I continue to obsess over spy movies about diplomatic crises and watch The West Wing.
I would describe myself as… a regimented rule-follower with a unique and somewhat surprising personality.
I spent my summer… living with a host family in a small town in southern Spain and, upon my return, worked as a lifeguard.
I like to decompress by… listening to audiobooks. Since the age of seven, I have listened to about 5,000 hours of audiobooks (about one per week). My obsession began when my poor eyesight required an embarrassing eyepatch that made reading a challenge. Since then, I have not looked back.
Something that would surprise people about me is… that I have a collection of Rubik's Cubes displayed on my bedroom dresser.
PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT INSTRUCTOR (CERTIFIED TO TRAIN OTHERS IN CPR)
LED PLANNING OF THE POST 53 FOOD FAIR, PROFITED $45K
EXCHANGE STUDENT IN SPAIN FOR TWO SUMMERS
Strength of mind, body, and spirit are the cornerstones of a life well lived. As we prepare our boys for life in a fast-changing world, we’re especially dedicated to cultivating the whole boy, to building in every student the habits-of-mind that will nourish and fortify him for the rest of his life.
HOMETOWN: DARIEN
In the fall I will be… attending the University of Chicago. I plan to major in Applied Mathematics and Economics.
My interest in computer science and programming began… I loved playing around with app makers during computer class so much that I decided to challenge myself by taking a college-level CS course during my eighth-grade summer. I realized the problem-solving power of programming, and it sparked curiosity that has put me on the path of learning, exploration and experimentation.
My career goals include … engaging in research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Social Sciences. I am fascinated by the promise of AI.
Sailing allows me to… forge dynamic connections in a competitive atmosphere. As crew, working with my skipper has taught me lessons in communication, teamwork and trust. Team racing has taught me the importance of tactics and situational awareness across a fleet.
I give back to my community by … organizing computer education programs for young students in our community through classes at local libraries, youth centers and schools in underserved areas.
My passion for philosophy started when… we were given time to write an open-ended essay about an aspect of our lives in English class. I decided to focus on existentialism.
The best thing about my school was… the community. Looking back, I treasure the free periods we spent in the library playing Monopoly Go or having philosophical debates.
I would love to discover… more cuisines. I love being adventurous with food. I’ve tried everything from the world’s spiciest hot sauce to fish eyeballs. I remember one of the best meals I’ve had was in an alleyway my dad and I found in Athens.
One day I’d love to… learn to play the guitar.
My ideal family vacation would be... to Hawaii. I remember when my uncle took me to Mauna Kea, one of the darkest places on earth. Seeing the entire galaxy with our bare eyes was breathtaking and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
UVA THOMAS JEFFERSON BOOK AWARD
VARSITY SAILING COACHES AWARD
NATIONAL INVITATIONAL TROPHY 2ND PLACE (SAILING)
HOMETOWN: ROWAYTON
In the fall I will be… attending Emory University.
In college, I am most excited about…the range of courses. Emory has lots of classes in social justice, phycology, creative writing and biology, which I’m particularly interested in.
My extracurricular activities… meet people I wouldn’t normally come across and work together to reach common goals. I love being outside, whether on a ski mountain or in the ocean and learning new skills.
My passion for helping foster children began… when I was 12 years old. I went to FOCUS camp and heard the term fostering for the first time in a song called "Kings and Queens" by Audio Adrenaline. The song ignited a passion in me and I persuaded my family for five years until finally we started the two-year long process and became certified as a foster family.
My ideal family vacation is… halfrelaxing and half-adventure. I love time on the beach to read and relax, but also love more thrilling activities like zipping, hiking, bungee jumping and jet skiing.
My secret to time management is… I’ve always been a really organized person, so having a looming assignment stresses me out. After school, I go to the library and finish everything task-related because it helps me feel accomplished.
I would describe myself as… a very passionate person and an advocate. When I find something I am interested in or care about, I have to do something about it or get involved in it. For me those main passions have been EMT, sustainability and social justice.
When I have downtime… you can find me reading a book, working on a puzzle, raising ducks, doing hot yoga or cleaning my room for the 800th time.
My career goals include… working for Doctors Without Borders and specializing in Pediatric Gastroenterology, I find the connection between the brain and stomach fascinating. I also want to do work with social justice and environmental justice.
Volunteering as an EMT has helped me… recognize the power of human connection in alleviating pain in stressful situations. I’ve found that most of the time the greatest thing I’m able to provide my patients with is a smile and reassurance.
GOLDEN KEY AWARD SCHOLASTICS WINNER
WESTPORT DIVERSITY ESSAY WINNER
VARSITY SAILING TEAM MEMBER
VARSITY VOLLEYBALL TEAM MEMBER
SDLC (STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE) REPRESENTATIVE FOR GFA
HEAD OF ECO CLUB
EMT CERTIFIED
SAILING INSTRUCTOR
SKI INSTRUCTOR
INSPIRICA AND OPEN DOORS SHELTERS VOLUNTEER TUTOR
At GFA, we empower students of all ages to do the hard, thrilling, essential work of shaping their own world, of building their own future. Teaching young people to discern what they want to say and to have the confidence to say it is a trademark of our PreK–12 education. We can’t think of a greater gift.
come find your voice
203.256.7514 | www.gfacademy.org | westport, conn.
HOMETOWN: DARIEN/LAWRENCE, MA
The best part about my school is… the supportive community. The teachers and students are always willing to help each other succeed.
My time living in Spain allowed me to… gain a deep appreciation for different cultures and languages. It also taught me to be adaptable and open-minded.
Volunteering brings me… a sense of fulfillment and purpose. It's rewarding to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and learn about their unique experiences. Building relationships with those I help has been incredibly inspiring and has taught me a lot about empathy and resilience.
I like to decompress by… going for long runs, listening to music or watching old rom-coms.
My interest in running began… when my dad took me running for the first time. I then joined the running club in middle school. I loved the feeling of freedom and the sense of accomplishment it gave me.
In ten years I see myself… running my own business, focusing on innovative solutions to modern problems. I aim to be a leader in my industry and inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
Something that would surprise people about me… is I love to listen to alternative metal when studying.
I would describe myself as… determined, confident and charismatic.
My dream job would be… to become a successful entrepreneur, leading a company that makes a significant impact in the world, while also mentoring young leaders and fostering innovation.
I spent my summer… as a camp counselor for GovsPLUS (Powerful Learners Unlocking Success) in Byfield, Massachusetts. It is a tuition-free academic enrichment program that partners The Governor’s Academy with motivated middleschool students from Lawrence, Massachusetts (my hometown) to help them reach their potential in and out of the classroom. This experience reinforced my passion for leadership and mentorship.
TRINITY COLLEGE ALUMNI BOOK AWARD WINNER
STUDENT GOVERNMENT STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AND CLASS REPRESENTATIVE
CROSS COUNTRY, CO-CAPTAIN
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD, CO-CAPTAIN
WORLD LANGUAGE HONOR SOCIETY (SPANISH)
A single thought begins a journey of exploration and can be the source for igniting passions, inspiring others, or making an impact. It’s how we think.
Grades N-8
October 20
Grades 9-12
November 3
HOMETOWN: NEW CANAAN
In the fall I will be… attending MIT.
The thing I’m most excited about in college is… acquiring the MIT pirate certificate, meeting more friends and diving deeper into physics and science.
My passion for science began when my grandfather used to tell me stories explaining how physics and science underpinned the world around us.
Developing an AP Physics study guide to help other students was important to me because… I wanted to make challenging concepts more accessible and help everyone succeed.
My ideal family vacation is… a trip to a place rich in history and culture that's a mix of exploration, learning and enjoying the moment with others.
My secret to time management is staying organized with deadlines and setting aside dedicated time for both work and relaxation. Balancing my schedule helps me stay productive.
Being chosen as a finalist in the National Regeneron Science competition was a pivotal moment because meeting so many scientists accomplishing pioneering work in their fields and fellow high school researchers makes me excited to continue conducting science research.
I would describe myself as… curious, determined and sociable. I love learning new things and tinkering with challenges alongside others.
When I have downtime, you can find me… hanging out with friends, running or reading about the latest scientific discoveries.
My career goals include pursuing scientific research to find innovative solutions in technology and science. Tutoring allows me to… share my knowledge, help others achieve their goals and reinforce my own understanding of the subjects I teach.
2024 EUROPEAN PHYSICS OLYMPIAD GOLD MEDALIST: REPRESENTED THE UNITED STATES AND RANKED 3RD OVERALL OUT OF 250 COMPETITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD
2024 REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH FINALIST
2023 RESEARCH SCIENCE INSTITUTE SCHOLAR
3X U.S. PHYSICS TEAM MEMBER: PLACED IN THE TOP 20 OUT OF 6,000 COMPETITORS IN THE U.S. PHYSICS OLYMPIAD
TESTS OF ENGINEERING APTITUDE, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE (TEAMS) STATE CHAMPION TEAM: ACHIEVED THE 2ND HIGHEST OVERALL SCORE IN THE NATION
2022 MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD SUMMER PROGRAM (MOSP) QUALIFIER: RANKED IN THE TOP 60 OUT OF 132,000+ COMPETITORS IN THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITIONS SERIES
2022 U.S. JUNIOR MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD WINNER: PLACED 11TH IN THE NATION FOR THE U.S. JUNIOR MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD
3X U.S. JUNIOR)MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD (USAJMO) QUALIFIER: RANKED IN THE TOP 250 OUT OF 132,000+ COMPETITORS IN THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITIONS SERIES
3X SCHOLASTIC ARTS AND WRITING SILVER KEY IN CRITICAL ESSAY AND POETRY
At Winston Prep, we understand that everyone learns in different ways. That’s why our model results in extraordinary transformations for students with learning differences.
The Winston Prep high school graduation rate is
99 versus 70.8% nationwide for students with learning differences
80of Winston graduates enroll in college, versus 33% nationwide for students with learning differences
Scan the QR code to Register for an Open House
HOMETOWN: NEW CANAAN
In the fall I will be... attending Harvard, where I’ll be concentrating in Economics, Applied Math or Statistics.
Raising scholarship money in honor of Teddy Balkind, my best friend who passed away in 2022 after a tragic accident, allowed me to spread…Teddy’s legacy of light and joy. The scholarship will allow more students the opportunity to experience
St. Luke’s, a place that Teddy loved and that is forever better because he left his mark there.
Before a big soccer game, you can find me... strategizing with my coach and hyping up the team with my fellow captains. We had an incredible run and won FAAs (something St. Luke’s hadn’t done in 15 years) because we worked so well together and had real friendships both on and off the field.
Being a scratch golfer means that... I am always looking for ways to improve my game. I’m planning to walk on to the Harvard golf team in the fall and I’m hitting balls or out on the course pretty much every day this summer.
In ten years, I hope to be... doing something that I love. I’m excited to get to Harvard and start figuring out what that is. I want to see more of the world, meet all sorts of new people and see how my idea of what I want to do changes at school.
Playing and coaching soccer provides me with... a deeper connection to the game and the culture surrounding it. I would love for more kids to have the opportunity to play soccer. Travel sports are so expensive that a lot of talented kids don’t get the opportunity to train and develop at an elite level. I want to be a part of changing the sport and making it more accessible.
My dream job would be… working in the back office of a professional sports team. I love sports, especially the technical work of building a roster.
I started playing the trombone… on a whim and thought I would only do it for a year. But I ended up loving it and played for eight years. It was bittersweet playing in my last school concert next to friends who started with me in fifth grade.
I like to decompress by… hanging out with my friends and trying new restaurants. I’m a total foodie and love to go into New York City for impromptu tasting tours. I think I’ve been to every Indian restaurant in Fairfield County. I also like to cook.
I would describe myself as… someone who cares. I feel like I am willing to put in the extra effort, and I never want to let anyone down.
WINNER OF SLS SPANISH AWARD (2021), MUSIC AWARD IN (2022), AMERICAN STUDIES AWARD (2023)
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE BOOK AWARD WINNER
RECIPIENT OF THE SLS STORM AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
FOUNDER OF “SLS BE MORE LIKE TEDDY SERVICE WEEK,” AN ANNUAL EVENT STARTED TO HONOR WATSON’S BEST FRIEND, TEDDY BALKIN, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2022 AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT
VARSITY SOCCER TEAM CAPTAIN
NAMED ALL-NEW ENGLAND, WESTERN NEW ENGLAND ALL-STAR, ALL-STATE, AND ALL-CONFERENCE
VARSITY GOLF TEAM CAPTAIN AND FOUR-TIME WOODWAY COUNTRY CLUB JUNIOR CLUB CHAMP
FALL OPEN HOUSES
Feeding curiosity. Nurturing wisdom and intellect. Practicing responsibility and compassion.
Our collaborative, outcome-oriented school community empowers students to grow into women who lead lives of purpose, leadership, and service.
We transform the world, one girl at a time. Find your future with us.
Upper School (Grades 9–12)—October 24 at 5:30 p.m.
All School (Kindergarten–Grade 12)—November 2 at 9:00 a.m.
ADMISSION TOUR DAYS
Barat Center (3–5 year old boys &girls)—November 8 at 9:30 a.m.
October 9, November 13, December 11, January 15 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
I give back to my community by… volunteering at my church (Holy Ghost Orthodox Parish) in Bridgeport. As a Sunday school teacher, I walk the kids over to the church school building, provide snacks, read the weekly bible passage and then help with a related craft. I also take part in organizing our yearly Christmas pageant and monthly choir practices.
I spent my summer… working at the Steve Benko Pool in New Canaan as a lifeguard, reading for leisure (I’m currently reading Tana French’s The Likeness) and watching the Euros and the Olympics. I also visited my grandparents in New Hampshire, where I was able to golf with my grandfather and cousins, play cornhole and bocce and swim in the lake.
My interest in writing began… with my love for reading. It inspired me to start creating my own stories. Books like The Lorax and The Boxcar Children were early favorites. At Sacred Heart, I was fortunate enough to be a member of the art and literary magazine, Perspectives, where I contributed as a writer and editor. I am looking forward to continuing to dive into more creative writing at Lafayette.
My role models include… my mom, dad and Auntie M. Also, my favorite authors Toni Morrison, Jane Austen and Amanda Gorman. Last but not least, I admire Emma Watson for the way she uses her platform to promote women’s rights.
I like to decompress by… listening to music. Right now my favorite artists are Billie Eilish and Dominic Fike.
In ten years I hope to be… living and working in New York City and making time to travel.
My dream job would be… working in the UN Women’s Department of Environmental Justice.
In the fall I will be… attending Lafayette College.
My passion for the environment started when… I began preschool at the New Canaan Nature Center. I think that attending the Nature Center allowed me to develop a love for the outdoors at an early age. I believe my love for nature has inspired my commitment to sustainable action and passion for environmental justice.
My favorite teacher has been… Mr. B., my junior year U.S. history teacher and Dr. Baptista, my junior and senior year English teacher. Both are passionate about the subjects they teach and care deeply about their students’ success and overall well-being. I am so grateful to have had them as teachers and role models. My personal mantra is… that obstacles are opportunities in disguise. I try to remember that challenging myself and going out of my comfort zone allows me to grow as a person— whether it be academically or socially.
EDITOR OF AWARD-WINNING STUDENT LITERARY MAGAZINE, PERSPECTIVES
RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WITH THE 2023 CONNECTICUT RISING STAR AWARD
RECIPIENT OF THE 2023 GETTYSBURG BOOK AWARD
INDUCTEE OF THE SISTER SHEEHAN HONOR SOCIETY WHICH RECOGNIZES STUDENTS FOR EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE DURING THEIR UPPER SCHOOL YEARS
VARSITY SOCCER TEAM
VARSITY TRACK TEAM
HOMETOWN: DARIEN/NEW CANAAN
I spent my summer… teaching English to adults preparing for their citizenship tests, working on college applications and enjoying the beach.
Volunteering has given me… the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life and give back to those around me in an engaging and meaningful way.
In ten years I see myself... pursuing a career in politics and starting my own nonprofit.
Before a game, you can find me… leading fun warmups to make sure that my teammates are both mentally and physically prepared for every game.
The best part about my school is… the genuine care that every teacher has for the well-being of their students.
I like to decompress by… journaling or coloring with my twin sister.
In college I hope to… major in Political Science or International Relations with a minor in Sociology, aiming to understand and address societal issues from multiple perspectives.
A hard lesson I’ve learned was... that your whole life can change at any second, reminding me to cherish every moment and be resilient in the face of unexpected challenges.
A big part of my drive to help others is… to get to listen and learn from their experiences, as they have taught me invaluable life lessons that will stay with me forever.
In the fall I will be… enjoying my final year of high school with my friends and playing soccer!
RECIPIENT OF THE FUTURE GLOBAL LEADER AWARD
CATHY MISHKIN KING CARES AWARD WINNER
KING SCHOLAR: HIGHEST-TIER GPA MAINTAINED EACH SEMESTER
VARSITY LACROSSE COACHES-AWARD WINNER AND JUNIOR CAPTAIN
VARSITY SOCCER CAPTAIN
FOUNDER OF SUSTAINABILITY CLUB
FOUNDER OF JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES CLUB
STUDENT COUNCIL/ACTIVITIES BOARD MEMBER 2021-PRESENT
- 2025
Brunswick School
The Children’s School
EF Academy
Fairfield College Preparatory School
Greens Farms Academy
Greenwich Academy
Greenwich Country Day School
King School
Lauralton Hall
Long Ridge School
New Canaan Country School
Putnam Indian Field School
Sacred Heart Greenwich
Seven Acres Montessori
St. Luke’s School
Whitby School
Winston Preparatory School
For a complete schedule of admissions events at the above schools please visit
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Northeast Building & Home in New Canaan, (formerly known as Weed & Duryea) is an experience like no other. Our white glove service and exclusive high-end products mean you’ll receive expert assistance every step of the way.
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because I enjoyed the satisfaction of solving problems. However, recently I’ve preferred chemistry, which I have to thank my teacher Mr. LeBris for. It’s like a puzzle, one that you need to think deeply about, similar to solving a Sudoku puzzle (which I also enjoy).
The importance of music… Music has been an important part of my life. I play piano competitively and play violin as a soloist and in ensembles.
My role models include… my mother. She grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution, a time of great turmoil and hardship, and her sacrifice and determination to attain an education I will forever admire. I see her determination in her everyday life, and I strive to follow her. My mom once said to me when I was young that if you spend time doing something, you might as well do it well. I think that’s the best advice I have heard.
I like to decompress by… exercising. For me, that’s either playing soccer or just running.
The thing I'm most excited about in college is… to meet a diverse group of people, who have different life experiences and perspectives, and form relationships with them.
I give back to my community by… My main act of giving back to my community is at the neighboring city-run recreation center, teaching piano to 16 children from low-income households. My feeling of responsibility for my students has also transferred to my own motivation to be a better musician.
In the fall I will be... attending Emory University. At this point, I plan to study a dual-major of Public Health and Economics on a pre-med track. I am interested in exploring the impact of economics on health equity.
My trip to China this summer… From the age of 3 to 11, I lived in Shanghai, which I can truthfully say is my favorite city. I wanted to experience living in the city again, especially since I haven’t visited since the summer before Covid started. However, more importantly, I wanted to improve my Chinese-speaking skills. I worked there as an intern for Value Retail, a global outlet mall collection which has a village in Shanghai.
My favorite subject in school… has changed over the years. In the past, my preferred subject was math,
In ten years I see myself... as a person who’s making a change in the world, whether that’s as a doctor or in a public health policy role.
FIRST VIOLINIST IN THE NORWALK YOUTH SYMPHONY PLAYING IN 30+ CONCERTS A YEAR
PLAYED AT VENUES LIKE TANGLEWOOD AND CARNEGIE HALL
ACCOMPLISHED PIANIST HAVING WON NUMEROUS AWARDS
RECIPIENT OF THE ST. LUKE’S MUSIC AWARD IN 2021
SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2023 YALE YOUNG GLOBAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
CERTIFIED AND VOLUNTEER EMT
STARTING LEFT BACK ON VARSITY SOCCER TEAM AND INTER-CT SOCCER CLUB
HONORABLE MENTION RECIPIENT IN THE REGIONAL LEAGUE ALL-FAA AWARDS
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In the fall I will be… a freshman at the University of Notre Dame. I’m hoping to learn from those around me, and I am aspiring to set up my eventual career in finance or law.
I spent my summer… volunteering at The Covenant School in Bridgeport as a teaching assistant and spending time with family and friends. I hope to play some golf and make it to see some baseball games too.
My mission trip to Appalachia… changed the way I perceived obstacles, challenges and even inconveniences in my personal life.
In ten years I hope that… I am still actively learning and that I will have found a successful career path while supporting those in my local community.
I am drawn to chess because… both players have complete control over the outcome of a game. It has taught me to learn from my mistakes and to always strive to become a better player, thinker and person. And every game is different than the last.
The best part about my school is… the community of faculty and students. The friendships that I made at Fairfield Prep will last me a lifetime.
I like to decompress by… listening to music while going for a drive.
In college I hope to create… a positive impact on those around me, to leave something behind that is bigger than myself and to form new friendships.
Something that would surprise people about me is… that I love to work out. I find that playing sports like basketball and golf, weightlifting and running are all enjoyable ways to push my boundaries and I like to challenge myself in these areas, too.
Volunteering allows me to… gain fulfillment in my life, to give back to those who need support and to reaffirm my appreciation for all that I have and for my blessings.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS CLUB MEMBER
POLITICAL AWARENESS CLUB MEMBER
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTEE
STOCK MARKET CLUB MEMBER
CHESS CLUB MEMBER
PREP ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING CLUB MEMBER
PEER TUTOR
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HOMETOWN: DARIEN
In the fall I will be... attending Stanford University.
The thing I’m most excited about in college is… meeting new friends on the sailing team and through my classes and other extracurricular activities on campus.
Serving as president on my school’s Sustainability Council was meaningful to me because… it was a challenge. In today’s world, I think most people are aware that climate change and global warming are a pressing issue, but most think that it either won’t affect them or they just don’t know how to make an impactful change. I found that spreading the message in a fun and easy actionable way made my classmates more receptive to making more sustainable choices.
My passion for sailing began… with my grandfather. I am very lucky to have my grandfather as a mentor in life, but also in sailing. He was able to take his passion and make a career out of it, rising to the pinnacle of the sport. The thing that I love about sailing is the sociable nature of the sport. Often you are working as a team while also feeling the freedom of being on the water.
My secret to time management is… prioritizing and focusing on the things I enjoy. I try to find satisfaction in completing the smaller mundane tasks in my day so I can free up my time to focus on the things I am interested in.
My ideal family vacation is… being with family and friends in a beautiful setting outdoors on or near the water. I would describe myself as… curious. I love learning new things—reading, traveling, asking questions and meeting new people.
My career goals include… finding something I am passionate about and becoming a leader in that field. One of the core traits that I value is leadership. I find a strong leader does not need to be the most vocal, but can generate a silent pull that people will naturally gravitate toward. Although a bit far-fetched, my dream job is to be a Formula 1 team principal, similar to the general manager of a football or basketball team.
Writing for the Oracle, Brunswick’s literary magazine, allowed me to… be creative. After writing mostly analytical papers for school, I appreciated the opportunity to write about a lot of random things, none really connected, and several pieces in different forms.
When I have downtime you can find me… on the water or hanging with friends.
JUNIOR
TREASURER OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT FOR TWO YEARS
SENIOR PREFECT
BRUNSWICK HUMANITIES BOOK AWARD SOPHOMORE AND JUNIOR YEAR
OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM FOR SAILING
2021 420 U17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND 2021 C420 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP (FIRST PLACE)
HEAD INSTRUCTOR, PEQUOT YACHT CLUB
CAPTAIN OF THE BRUNSWICK SAILING TEAM 2022-2024
BIKINI, HOPING THE BRIGHT COLOR WOULD MAKE WHAT SHE WAS ABOUT TO DO A LITTLE BIT EASIER. HER FAMILY WAITED ON THE
ABOUT
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Ali is no stranger to pools. In fact, she’s a four-year letter winner for the Yale women’s swimming and diving team. But today was the first day she’d get back in the water after a shark attack that ended with her losing her foot and part of her leg less than two months earlier.
She put on a floaty belt in case of the painful sensation of electric shocks in her leg became too much, or she had a flashback of the attack. But what scared her the most was that she would get into the water and realize she lost her love for the it. “I really didn’t want to let fear rule my life,” she said. “I lost my foot and I’m never getting it back. So if I can get my love of the water back, I’m going to fight for that.”
Ali loved the water for as long as she can remember. Her mother, Jody, knew even before that. As a colicky baby, Ali cried for hours until Jody realized that the sound of running water helped her calm down. Growing up, she loved baths, sat in showers as long as she could, and took advantage of getting four water lessons in one when her brothers hid in the showers at the swim school, wetting their hair to convince their parents they had participated.
The Truwits are a water family—spending summers on the boat in Long Island Sound and catching water views whenever the opportunity presents itself. Ali spent her summers at Brendan’s 101 after racing her friends at her summer swim club. That transitioned into swimming at the Darien YMCA until Ali was 12, when she started training full-time at Chelsea Piers.
That’s where she met Jamie Barone, founder of the Chelsea Piers Aquatics Club and Ali’s coach since she was 11 years old. “The thing I remember about that first lesson with Ali more than anything was every time she stopped swimming, she looked up and just had the biggest smile on her face,” says Jamie.
“I have something special in the water, not because I’m the best, but
because I love it,” she says. “I’m genuinely happy in this space.”
But on that summer morning by her family’s backyard pool, Ali wasn’t feeling happy. She was scared the sound of water would trigger her to relive the attack. Her mom, Jody, a cognitive behavioral therapist, coached Ali on grounding techniques in case things went awry. “If you’re feeling fear, you touch the edge and put your feet on the bottom of the pool,” Jody told Ali. “Fear can make us irrational, but if your hand is touching the edge and your feet are touching the bottom, you know you’re safe.”
Ali’s normally bright, toothy smile was replaced with a tortured look on her face as she slid herself slowly into the pool. After a few bumps, Ali built on her progress, first with a doggy-paddle, jazzercise, and eventually a race against her brothers who, in true Truwit fashion, gave her no mercy.
The moment is amazing, considering it had only been two months since Ali’s mom got the call from a nurse in Turks & Caicos telling her Ali was in critical condition after a shark attack. “I was in the driveway with presents in my hand—Ali’s youngest brother’s birthday was the next day—when I saw the call from an international number,” Jody said. “My stomach immediately felt sick.”
Jody dropped the packages, asking to speak to her daughter, when Ali got on the line. “She tried to speak but she couldn’t,” Jody said. “So I waited.”
Sophie, one of Ali’s best friends who was with her during the attack, took the phone and told Jody the news—that the shark had bit off Ali’s foot and part of her leg. She put the phone back near Ali’s ear.
Jody began to cry, telling Ali that she was sorry this happened and that she loved her. Finally, Ali’s voice appeared on the other end of the line—“Mom, please don’t cry. We need a plan.” Ali needed to get to a
St. Luke,s School, Class of 2018
Yale University, Class of 2023 BS in Cognitive Science with a depth in Behavioral Economics
Hanging out with her family dogs Taco and Lucky, baking, running, traveling and the NYT crossword puzzle
Mental health, emotional intelligence, women in sports and female empowerment, Special Olympics
Won gold in 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle (S10)
Set the American record in 100m backstroke after breaking it earlier in the year at the 2024 Para Swimming World Series USA
Posted two Top-3 World times in the 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle
Truwit is a four-year letter winner for Yale University's swimming and diving team.
Follow Ali on Instagram @alitruwit
“ THE GOAL OF SHARING MY STORY IS TO SHOW HOW LIFE CAN KNOCK YOU DOWN AND YOU CAN RISE AGAIN . ”
above: Truwit’s parents have been her biggest supporters since her early days of swimming competitively at the Darien YMCA, Wee Burn and Chelsea Piers. She credits her family, friends, doctors and her coach Jamie Barone for helping her through her recovery and journey to the Paralympics.
“ I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THE WATER, NOT BECASUE I AM THE BEST, BUT BECAUSE I LOVE IT. I AM GENUINELY HAPPY IN THIS SPACE. ” – ALI TRUWIT
“ I REALLY DIDN ' T WANT TO LET FEAR RULE MY LIFE ” – ALI
specialty hospital that was better equipped to help her.
Ali and Sophie were in Turks & Caicos celebrating Ali’s graduation from Yale and Sophie’s from medical school. On their first full day, the two were heading back to the boat after an afternoon of snorkeling. Seemingly out of nowhere, a shark began aggressively ramming them from underneath. “We just did what we could think to do in that moment, which was fight back,” Ali said. “So we shoved and kicked, and pretty quickly, it had my leg in its mouth.”
The two screamed for help but no help came. So, they decided to save themselves, swimming 75-yards in open ocean water knowing the shark was still circling. Stay conscious. Stay calm. Just get to the boat. Just get to the boat.
“I think I knew I was in a life-or-death situation so I focused on
remaining calm to get myself through that,” says Ali. When they got to the boat, Sophie tied a tourniquet on Ali’s leg to stop the bleeding, ultimately saving her life. Ali was airlifted to a hospital in Miami and eventually to one in New York City where doctors amputated her leg below the knee on her 23rd birthday.
After her recovery, Ali got home to a bedroom full of gifts and pictures from friends and people from Darien and beyond. “That moment for me was so pivotal,” she says. “It made me realize that I have so many people who are going to help me through this, who believe in me, who love me.”
But the road ahead was tumultuous. After the attack, “half of her stayed exactly the same—smiling and joyful,” says Jody. “The other half of her was uncertain. Unsure. The saddest that I’ve ever seen her.”
Things she never thought she’d worry about were now at the forefront
“ ONE DAY SHE WAS SWIMMING BACK TO THE WALL AND POPPED UP AND DID A 360 AND WAS JUST HAVING FUN IN THE WATER AGAIN. THAT ’ S WHEN I KNEW SHE STARTED TO HEAL. ”
– JAMIE BARONE, TRUWIT'S
Ali’s coach, Jamie, was selected as one of eight coaches to lead the U.S. Paralympic Swim team in Paris—a testament to his talents as a coach considering he’s never trained a paralympic athlete before Ali.
Jamie is modest about the honor, but a quick look into his background proves how well deserved it is. Jamie was coached by and worked alongside Bob Bowman who coached Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time.
In his career, Jamie has coached athletes of the highest pedigree. He built a team that was non-existent and transformed it into one of the top 20 teams in the country six years later. For Ali, Jamie is not just her coach, but almost like a third parent—a lifeline during her recovery and training.
The first swim lesson he gave her was in the pool of his parent’s backyard when she was 11. Years later—through trials and triumphs—the two continue to work together, this time on a world stage.
of Ali’s mind. Will the pain ever stop? Will anyone love me in this new body? Would I ever get married? Have kids? How will I ever wear a skirt again? Were people going to judge me because I look different? Will I ever be an athlete again?
In September, a few months after Ali’s first time back in the pool at her house, she called her swim coach, Jamie, to start training again. On October 2nd, they got back to work—but sessions looked different than they once had.
“Then, the scales were 90% therapeutic and 10% swimming,” Jamie remembers. “There would be days where she'd swim for 20 minutes because she'd be crying or just needed to talk.”
At that point, she wouldn’t look at her own leg and didn’t want anyone she knew to see her. In November, that fear came to fruition, with an unplanned run-in with a former teammate.
Jamie said, “She was just devastated. Beside herself.” The two sat down and Jamie said “I’m really sorry this happened, but you’re a swimmer and we’re in a public pool. This was going to happen eventually, we just have to tear the Band-Aid off.”
Jamie remembers sessions in those early that triggered panic for Ali. “Let’s just call it a day,” he’d tell her. “You came, you tried. Let’s just go grab a coffee.”
To which she replied: “No, I’m finishing the practice.”
Ali is every coach’s dream athlete. “If you told her to run through a wall in order to get better, she’d do it until either she falls out or the wall breaks,” says Jamie.
That mentality is what helped drive her breakthrough during her recovery. She showed up, again and again. Despite who she might run into, despite how she felt physically or emotionally, Ali showed up.
By February, she was walking onto the pool deck in a bathing suit in her prosthetic, without a care as to who saw it. Jody recalls, “she didn’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable by showing her prosthetic, until she realized she just had to accept herself and that she couldn’t carry the weight of how others reacted to it.”
Jamie also remembers the shift. “One day she was swimming back to the wall and popped up and did a 360 and was just having fun in the water again. That’s when I knew she started to heal,” he says. “I’ll never forget it.”
That shift in Ali was inspired by making sense of the nonsensical— of making meaning of what happened to her by turning her trauma into a story that gives others hope. It shows the magnitude of human capacity—that we all have more in us than we think.
Three months after the attack and just a few days after getting back in the water, Ali competed in her first Para swimming meet.
Then, in December, with bare minimum training, she won a ParaSwimming National Championship in the 400-meter freestyle for her division.
“I think that’s when the lightbulb switched on,” Jamie said. She was going to try to qualify for the U.S. Paralympic Trials six months later.
In April, she broke the Para record in the 100-meter backstroke.
When the U.S. Paralympic Trials finally came around, Ali rebroke her own record from April—swimming the event faster than she had when she had two feet.
A year ago, Ali was wearing a floaty around her waist working her way to the deep end of her family’s backyard pool. Now, she’s competing in Paris at the Paralympics.
The journey of her recovery, and ultimately her comeback, was one Ali credits heavily to the people around her. McKinsey, the consulting firm where Ali was offered a full-time position after she graduated, agreed to delay her start date to give her the time and space to recover from the attack. Then delayed it again to let her pursue the Paralympics. She credits Sophie for saving her life, her friends, family and medical staff—even her community—for getting her to a place where she can hold her head up high on a world stage and compete for her country.
The community in Darien heavily influenced her love of sports. “I think having rivalries in our towns, and that sports culture where people are excited to cheer and watch you, fosters an energy that really does translate to young athletes,” she said.
The chances of being attacked by a shark is one in 3.75 million—a fact that makes finding meaning in what’s happened all the more difficult for her. But for Ali, the journey to the Paralympics is a vehicle for her recovery and one of the ways she makes meaning of what’s happened.
The Paralympic movement is a space where she’s able to focus on all she has, as opposed to what she lost. It’s a way for her to be competitive and surrounded by people who give her hope—a feat she says is all the more important in this first year where she’s battling a lot of emotional and physical hurdles.
“Yes, I’m one of the few who has been attacked by a shark. But I’m one of the many who has had to go through trauma or unexpected change,” she says. “The goal of sharing my story is to show how life can knock you down and you can rise again.”
Beyond her Paralympic dreams, Ali started a foundation, Stronger Than You Think, designed to help those who have suffered limb loss, supporting activities for those with impairments and amplifying education around adaptive athletes, water safety, and more. Learn more about Ali and her foundation at StrongerThanYouThink.org
Sunday SEPTEMBER 1
Thursday SEPTEMBER 5 Friday SEPTEMBER 6
by TOM CONNOR • photography by CATHARINE CALDERWOOD
opposite
The noise level in a suburban public high school like Darien High can reach 100 decibels. That’s nearly three times the safe level set by the World Health Organization. But in the spring of 2022, the hallways fell almost deafeningly quiet.
Within a two-month period, three students there a sophomore and two juniors, all male, all superb athletes, all widely admired, even loved—died, two by suicide. It was as though not only the school and teams but the town itself had gone into collective mourning.
How Darien residents came together over the next two and a half years to address youth mental health is a testament to the spirit of a town to recover from tragedy. It also serves as a lesson for other towns on how to help some of the most vulnerable members of our communities survive in troubled times.
Darien has o en drawn criticism for placing excessive pressure on students to excel and succeed. Yet mental health care workers report having found instead an exceptional willingness on the part of residents to explore the factors impacting the mental health of the young in the community and seek possible solutions.
e Connecticut chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Suicide (AFSP) partners with a slew of local organizations to spread the word on where struggling children and their families can get help. “Darien as a community has really gone above and beyond in using the resources an organization like ours provides,” said Michelle Peters, AFSP’s Area Director for Connecticut. “ ey took something that was tragic and that some people consider hard conversations around teens and mental health, and they embraced it; that they opened their arms and invited me to be a part of their e orts told me so much about the community."
Citing a mental health epidemic, in April of this year U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced e Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act. For two of the three Darien student/ athletes, the initiative hadn’t come in time.
On March 31, 2022, Matthew McEvoy, 17, a lacrosse player who had privately battled depression, took his life. Less than two weeks later, 16-year-old Henry Farmer V, a hockey player, died from an untreated medical condition. On May 21, Hayden orsen, also 16 and a hockey star, died; he had exhibited none of the warning signs commonly associated with suicide.
the Junior Prom cancelled, in late spring of 2022 a meeting room was transformed into the Wellness Center, where students could meet, talk and take part in art and music activities as well as interact with volunteers’ therapy dogs. Within weeks, the hallways had come back to life with the sound of paws on the marble oors.
e high school responded, and quickly. Behind the leadership of Darien Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alan Addley and Darien High School Principal Ellen Dunn, the school formed a Mental Health Task Force to help students heal. A er midterm exams were modi ed and
“ THEY TOOK SOMETHING that WAS TRAGIC and that SOME PEOPLE CONSIDERED HARD CONVERSATIONS AROUND TEENS and MENTAL HEALTH and THEY EMBRACED IT. ”
– MICHELLE PETERS, AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION
Twice a month, Lynn Wilson, whose four sons had played sports at DHS, brought in Daisy, the family’s Newfoundland. “I think everyone was looking for ways to help these kids,” she said. “Daisy was like a magnet—just walking down the hallway to the Center would take ten to 15 minutes because everyone wanted to pet her.” Once there, Wilson said, some students would share with her the stresses and challenges of the school day.
For some parents, understandably, coping with the losses was going to be a long road.
“ e beginning is just so disorienting, there is no up or down or otherwise,” said Rob orsen, Hayden’s father. “But in time you feel compelled to act, both in honor, obviously, of Hayden and the life he lived, but also with the hopes of helping folks through maybe some of the things he must have struggled with but
couldn’t necessarily articulate.”
e summer a er their son’s death, orsen and his wife, Sarah ompson, founded HT40—Hayden orsen’s initials with the number of the hockey jersey he wore—around a simple vision: to create a world “where everyone feels a part of something together, not apart from one another.” e vision boiled down to a simple gesture: A hand on a shoulder for support.
With Ben Prentiss of Prentiss Hockey Performance (where Hayden trained) and Gary Zegras from the Mid-Fair eld Youth Hockey Association (where he played) the orsens launched Shoulder Check, a charity to raise money for the HT40 Foundation and to empower youth athletes to “Reach out. Check in. Make contact.” Madison Square Garden signed on as a sponsor. e heart of the initiative, though, was Hayden.
“You typically don’t see that much personality in a kid that age,” Prentiss said, “but all the coaches, and everyone really, took an immediate liking to him. He was a kind, spirited kid—he made an impression on everyone.”
In late July, a capacity crowd lled the Terry Conners Ice Rink in Stamford for the rst Shoulder Check Showcase. In the stands for the sold-out event—a scrimmage with NHL and local hockey players—were the many friends and fellow players Hayden regularly checked in with to see how they were.
“We discovered that Hayden was that person who was checking in on people, the one who sent the text or put the hand on a shoulder, was the hand-on-the-shoulder guy in every area of his life,” his father said. “When he passed, we got all these letters that re ected on the impact he had on their lives, and they all asked the same question: Who’s going to do what Hayden did now that he’s gone?”
One answer? Everyone he touched.
“ IT WAS VERY DELICATE in THOSE EARLY MONTHS in POST-VENTION. EVERBODY WANTED TO DO STUFF, BUT NO ONE WAS JUST GOING to do SOMETHING WITHOUT MAKING SURE the FAMILIES WERE COMFORTABLE WITH IT. ”
– LAURA BREMER, WAVE STRONG
Outside of the families of the three boys who had passed, the pain of their deaths was most acutely felt perhaps by the mothers of DHS
athletes who had played alongside the three, as well as their sons.
Back at school that September, members of the Blue Wave football team were looking for a way to show their support. e few of the mothers—Lynn Wilson, Erin Levine and Debi McGahren—thought that a T-shirt might be a way of getting out messages of support and hope.
“We knew the athletes would wear them,” said Levine, whose youngest of three sons had been close to Matthew McEvoy and Hayden orsen. “But then it became this thing where everybody wanted a T-shirt. It took on a life of its own.”
At this point, the football moms approached Laura Bremer, a mother of DHS athletes and the president of a Manhattan PR rm, whose family was also close to the McEvoys. “It was very delicate in those early months in postvention,” Bremer said. “Everybody wanted to do stu but no one was just going to do something without making sure the families were comfortable with it.”
Along with Matthew’s mother Tracy McEvoy, the women formed Wave Strong, a nonpro t aimed at destigmatizing mental health, especially among the young. Some 800 limited-edition shirts were manufactured bearing the Wave Strong logo and these messages: “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay,” “We Got Your Back” and “Speak to Someone.” e shirts quickly sold out, with the proceeds going to the Connecticut chapter of the AFSP. On
September 17, a Wave Strong team appeared at the popular annual Community Fund’s Darien Road Race joined by a throng of DHS athletes among other young adults and adults.
Over the next nine months, that initial support of youth mental health found expression in a number of additional ways.
In the winter and spring of 2023, the boys and girls basketball and hockey teams raised money for the AFSP-CT during the rst Winter Wave Strong Week. During Kindness Week, the organization also spread the message “you are loved and are not alone” by placing 100 hearts on a fence along the oval roadway surrounding the high school’s athletic elds. And in April, the rst-ever Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at DHS was the largest such fundraiser in Connecticut. en, in the late fall of 2023, something remarkable happened.
“It’s always been a heated event,” said Andy Grant, Darien’s head coach. “Lou Marinelli [the Rams’ head coach] and I are obviously rivals, at fairly signi cant football schools, with signi cant rivalries in all sports. ere are lots of alphas playing football—it's just the nature of the beast.”
Yet in November of 2023, two weeks before they were to meet for the 93rd time (having missed one game, in 2020, due to Covid), the archrivals sat down to a pasta dinner in, as Laura Bremer viewed the historic event, “support of the power of community
Among high school football rivalries in the state, none approaches the annual Darien Blue Wave and New Canaan Rams Turkeybowl. Since 1928, the teams have waged holy athletic war on anksgiving Day in a tradition that draws soldout crowds. e game seems to bring out the beast in players, coaches and alumni.
EMOTIONAL HIGHLIGHT of the NIGHT CAME WHEN ROB THORSEN ASKED the MORE THAN 200 YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYERS and INVITED ADULT GUESTS to PLACE A HAND ON the SHOULDER of the PERSON NEXT to THEM, REFERENCING HIS LATE-SONS HABIT of CHECKING IN on HIS WIDE CIRCLE of FRIENDS.
to de-stigmatize mental health.” Behind an unspoken code of silence, Bremer noted, boys and men (and especially male athletes) are four times more likely to die by suicide than females. Most, if not all, of the Darien players had known Matthew and Hayden, who had been popular as well as gi ed, as had a number of the New Canaan football players.
e historic dinner was organized by the Wave Strong Foundation and funded by Darien developer David Genovese and Nate Checketts, the founder of the men’s performance brand Rhone, who is a Darien resident but grew up in New Canaan and played for the Rams.
e NFL sent a video in which Steve Young and other star pros spoke to the young Darien athletes about the need for a better understanding of mental health. But the emotional highlight of the night came when Rob orsen asked the more than 200 young football players and invited adult guests to place a hand on the shoulder of the person next to them, referencing his late-son’s habit of checking in on his wide circle of friends.
Death at a young age in a New England town—Grovers Corner, New Hampshire or Darien, Connecticut—is a stark reminder of the transience of life. In this our town, the three boys’ passings may also serve to remind us that that it’s OK not to be OK, that we’re not alone and we are loved, and that an entire community has its hand on our shoulders.
Welcome to athome magazine’s fifteenth annual A-List Awards.
In each issue, athome dedicates its pages to showcasing the exceptional work of our talented design community. From emerging stars to established professionals, we recognize the diversity and creativity within our industry. Our A-List Awards provide a unique opportunity to bring everyone together for an evening of celebration, highlighting the collaboration and innovation evident in this year’s entries. Our esteemed panel of judges, including some exciting new additions this year, faced the daunting task of selecting finalists from an impressive pool of submissions. We thank them for their dedication, time and expertise in making this year’s competition a success.
The following is a listing of the 2024 A-List Awards finalists by category. Please note that this listing includes the entrant’s name and contact information for each finalist project.
To view the full list of professionals credited for each project as well as a project photo, please visit athomealistawards.com to view our digital A-List Awards program. Each finalist “page” can be shared on social media, and the link to each page can be included on a website or forwarded via email.
We hope this year’s set of finalists, with their forward-thinking and imaginative projects, is just the inspiration you have been looking for to reimagine your own living spaces. The winner of each category will be revealed on September 10, 2024 at our networking gala and awards ceremony. We wish our finalists much luck, and we thank all who entered, as well as our judges and our generous sponsors, who have made this celebration possible.
LIVING SPACE: Traditional/Classic
Caroline Kopp Interior Design @caroline_kopp_interior_ design
Robin Henry Studio @robinhenryid Robin Henry Robin Henry Studio Westport; 646-409-3099 robinhenrystudio.com
Caroline Kopp Interior Design Westport; 917-797-9756 carolinekopp.com
Molly Patton Design @mollypattondesign
Molly Patton Design Fairfield; 203-520-0598 mollypattondesign.com
Morgan Harrison Home @morganharrisonhome
Michelle Morgan Harrison Morgan Harrison Home New Canaan; 203-594-7875 morganharrisonhome.com
LIVING SPACE: Transitional/Modern Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design Greenwich; 203-561-2616 amyhirsch.com D2 Interieurs @d2interieurs Denise Davies D2 Interieurs Weston; 646-326-7048 d2interieurs.com
Nima Design Interiors @nimadesigninteriors
Maripi Aspillaga Nima Design Interiors Old Greenwich; 646-436-7685 nimadesigninteriors.com
ENTRYWAY
VanderHorn Architects @vanderhornarchitects Douglas VanderHorn VanderHorn Architects Greenwich; 203-622-7000 vanderhornarchitects.com
Charles Hilton Architects @charleshiltonarchitects Charles Hilton Charles Hilton Architects Greenwich; 203-489-3800 hiltonarchitects.com
Kaitlin Smith Interiors @kaitlinsmithinteriors Kaitlin Smith Interiors Essex, CT & Watch Hill, RI; 203-530-6871 kaitlinsmithinteriors.com
BATH DESIGN
Calla Cane @callacane Calla Cane Rowayton; 475-208-4888 callacane.com
KITCHEN: Transitional/Modern Alisberg Parker Architects @alisbergparker Susan Alisberg Ed Parker Alisberg Parker Architects Old Greenwich; 203637-8730 alisbergparker.com
D2 Interieurs @d2interieurs Denise Davies D2 Interieurs Weston; 646-326-7048 d2interieurs.com lulu HOME @luluhome.alana @luluhome.cami Alana Irwin Cami Luppino lulu HOME Greenwich; 203-340-2161 luluhomedesign.com
lulu HOME @luluhome.alana @luluhome.cami Alana Irwin Cami Luppino lulu HOME Greenwich; 203-340-2161 luluhomedesign.com
James Schettino Architects @schettino_architects James Schettino Jim Schettino
James Schettino Architects New Canaan; 203-966-5552 schettinoarchitects.com
Prudence Home and Design @prudencehomeanddesign Prudence Bailey Prudence Home and Design New Canaan; 203-859-9499 prudencehomes.com
Calla Cane @callacane Calla Cane Rowayton; 475-208-4888 callacane.com DEANE, Inc. @kitchensbydeane Peter Deane DEANE, Inc. Stamford; 203-327-7008 deaneinc.com
James Schettino Architects @schettino_architects James Schettino Jim Schettino James Schettino Architects New Canaan; 203-966-5552 schettinoarchitects.com
KITCHEN DESIGN: Traditional/Classic Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design @apdarchitects Stuart Disston Joshua Rosensweig Theresa Steinhardt Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design Fairfield County; 203-255-4031 Hamptons; 631-653-1481 apdarchitects.com
MODERN ARCHITECTURE
Cardello Architects @cardelloarchitects
Cardello Architects Westport; 203-853-2524 cardelloarchitects.com IN STUDIO with Prutting + Company Custom Builders @in_studio_architecture @pruttingbuilder IN STUDIO New York; 212-219-1026 in-studio.com
Karen Bow Interiors @karenbowinteriors Karen Bow Interiors Darien; 914-953-1517 karenbow.com Palomino Interior Design @palomino.interiors Kate Ferguson Palomino Interior Design New Canaan; 203-216-0831 palomino-interiors.com
VanderHorn Architects @vanderhornarchitects Douglas VanderHorn VanderHorn Architects Greenwich; 203-622-7000 vanderhornarchitects.com
KID/TEEN BEDROOM
Robert Dean Architects @robertdeanarchitects
Robert Dean Architects 111 Cherry Street New Canaan, 203-966-8333 robertdeanarchitects.com
Prutting + Company Custom Builders Stamford; 203-972-1028 prutting.com Tanner White Architects @tannerwhitearchitects Tanner White Architects Westport; 203-283-4749 tannerwhitearchitects.com
Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design @apdarchitects Stuart Disston Joshua Rosensweig Theresa Steinhardt Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design Fairfield County; 203-255-4031 Hamptons; 631-653-1481 apdarchitects.com
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ADDRESS: Six Suburban Avenue Stamford, CT 06901 PHONE: 203-674-0600 WEBSITE: tischlerwindows.com
WEBSITE: tischlerwindows.com
Tischler offers custom windows and doors in mahogany, thermally broken solid steel, thermally broken laser cut stainless steel and aluminum.
Tischler offers custom windows and doors in mahogany, thermally broken solid steel, thermally broken laser cut stainless steel and aluminum. All products are manufactured to withstand extreme weather conditions. The products are manufactured in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Arizona to the highest standards available. Our products have been tested and meet or exceed Dade County and Florida Building Code requirements for hurricane impact resistance against air and water infiltration.
All products are manufactured to withstand extreme weather conditions. The products are manufactured in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Arizona to the highest standards available. Our products have been tested and meet or exceed Dade County and Florida Building Code requirements for hurricane impact resistance against air and water infiltration.
Tischler’s headquarters are in Stamford, Connecticut, from which all services are provided: Project management to the architectural community, installation to the construction community and service and maintenance for our customers.
Tischler’s headquarters are in Stamford, Connecticut, from which all services are provided: Project management to the architectural community, installation to the construction community and service and maintenance for our customers.
A DDRESS: Hobbs, Inc: New Canaan, CT | New York, NY Saddle River, NJ | Bridgehampton, NY Hobbs Care: New Canaan, CT | Saddle River, NJ
PHONE: 203-966-0726
WEBSITE: hobbsinc.com; hobbs-care.com
Hobbs, Inc.
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A DDRESS: Hobbs, Inc: New Canaan, CT | New York, NY Saddle River, NJ | Bridgehampton, NY Hobbs Care: New Canaan, CT | Saddle River, NJ phone: PHONE: 203-966-0726
A DDRESS: Hobbs, Inc: New Canaan, CT | New York, NY Saddle River, NJ |
Bridgehampton, NY Hobbs Care: New Canaan, CT | Saddle River, NJ
A DDRESS: Hobbs, Inc: New Canaan, CT | New York, NY Saddle River, NJ | Bridgehampton, NY Hobbs Care: New Canaan, CT | Saddle River, NJ
PHONE: 203-966-0726
PHONE: 203-966-0726
WEBSITE: hobbsinc.com; hobbs-care.com
WEBSITE: hobbsinc.com; hobbs-care.com
WEBSITE: hobbsinc.com; hobbs-care.com
Hobbs, Inc. is an award-winning builder of distinctive homes in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Brothers Scott and Ian Hobbs are proud to honor the legacy of integrity, quality and client service instilled by their grandfather and founder, Theodore deFreyne Hobbs, seventy years ago.
Hobbs, Inc. is an award-winning builder of distinctive homes in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Brothers Scott and Ian Hobbs are proud to honor the legacy of integrity, quality and client service instilled by their grandfather and founder, Theodore deFreyne Hobbs, seventy years ago.
Hobbs, Inc. is an award-winning builder of distinctive homes in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Brothers Scott and Ian Hobbs are proud to honor the legacy of integrity, quality and client service instilled by their grandfather and founder, Theodore deFreyne Hobbs, over six decades ago.
The company sustains strong, collaborative relationships with the most respected architects and designers in the construction industry. They employ experienced, dedicated professionals and talented craftsmen to plan and execute every step of the “Hobbs Approach” for each project. Whether renovating an apartment in New York City, constructing a waterfront home in the Hamptons or building a family retreat in Connecticut, each team is in constant communication to deliver a superior building experience from concept to completion and beyond. Hobbs Care, a division of Hobbs, Inc., is available to clients to provide comprehensive maintenance programs, renovations and continual home improvement services.
The company sustains strong, collaborative relationships with the most respected architects and designers in the construction industry. They employ experienced, dedicated professionals and talented craftsmen to plan and execute every step of the “Hobbs
Approach” for each project. Whether renovating an apartment in New York City, constructing a waterfront home in the Hamptons or building a family retreat in Connecticut, each team is in constant communication to deliver a superior building experience from concept to completion and beyond. Hobbs Care, a division of Hobbs, Inc., is available to clients to provide comprehensive maintenance programs, renovations and continual home improvement services. The company’s success is marked by their transparency, synergy and determination to adhere to the values and client services that make the company great.
The company sustains strong, collaborative relationships with the most respected architects and designers in the construction industry. They employ experienced, dedicated professionals and talented craftsmen to plan and execute every step of the “Hobbs Approach” for each project. Whether renovating an apartment in New York City, constructing a waterfront home in the Hamptons or building a family retreat in Connecticut, each team is in constant communication to deliver a superior building experience from concept to completion and beyond. Hobbs Care, a division of Hobbs, Inc., is available to clients to provide comprehensive maintenance programs, renovations and continual home improvement services. The company’s success is marked by their transparency, synergy and determination to adhere to the values and client services that make the company
The company’s success is marked by their transparency, synergy and determination to adhere to the values and client services that make the company great.
NY 12601
A DDRESS: 68 Violet Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
PHONE: 845-452-8444 WEBSITE: fairviewhearthside.com
For over 40 years, Fairview Hearthside is the Hudson Valley’s first name in hearth products. Please visit our newly renovated showroom at 68 Violet Avenue in Poughkeepsie, NY, offering the latest indoor and outdoor gas, wood burning and electric fireplaces, gas log sets, fire pits, and custom fireplace doors. We continue to serve builders, architects, and designers with the very best of the hearth industry and we install every product we sell.
For over 40 years, Fairview Hearthside is the Hudson Valley’s first name in hearth products. Please visit our newly renovated showroom at 68 Violet Avenue in Poughkeepsie, NY, offering the latest indoor and outdoor gas, wood burning and electric fireplaces, gas log sets, fire pits, and custom fireplace doors. We continue to serve builders, architects, and designers with the very best of the hearth industry and we install every product we sell. Each project we take on involves careful thought and planning and we pride ourselves on the ability to work with the customer in choosing the fireplace that best suits their style and needs. Fairview Hearthside offers many services to complete your project, from designing the look that you want to achieve through the follow-up maintenance of your hearth product for years to come. We maintain a staff of experienced, well-traveled and fully ensured technicians, as well as specialists in our Sales/ Design team and we are confident that your project will be handled with professionalism, thoroughness, cleanliness, and with safety in mind.
Each project we take on involves careful thought and planning and we pride ourselves on the ability to work with the customer in choosing the fireplace that best suits their style and needs. Fairview Hearthside offers many services to complete your project, from designing the look that you want to achieve through the follow-up maintenance of your hearth product for years to come. We maintain a staff of experienced, welltraveled and fully ensured technicians, as well as specialists in our Sales/ Design team and we are confident that your project will be handled with professionalism, thoroughness, cleanliness, and with safety in mind.
Our pledge is to deliver an extraordinary service while maintaining a high level of professionalism, integrity, foresight, and fairness. We are committed to growing Fairview Hearthside through complete customer satisfaction.
Our sales team would be happy to visit your job site or home for a free estimate for your dream project! Please give us a call at (845) 4528444 or email us at info@fairviewhearthside.com and we will be happy to speak with you!
Our pledge is to deliver an extraordinary service while maintaining a high level of professionalism, integrity, foresight, and fairness. We are committed to growing Fairview Hearthside through complete customer satisfaction. Our sales team would be happy to visit your job site or home for a free estimate for your dream project! Please give us a call at (845) 4528444 or email us at info@fairviewhearthside.com and we will be happy to speak with you!
Lynn Morgan Design @lynnmorgandesign Lynn Morgan Sally Henry-Couannier Lynn Morgan Design Rowayton; 203-866-1940 lynnmorgandesign.com
BEDROOM D2 Interieurs @d2interieurs Denise Davies D2 Interieurs Weston; 646-326-7048 d2interieurs.com
Neil Hauck Architects @neil_hauck_architects Neil Hauck, AIA Rob Metzgar, AIA Neil Hauck Architects Darien; 203-655-9340 neilhauckarchitects.com
Nima Design Interiors @nimadesigninteriors Maripi Aspillaga Nima Design Interiors Old Greenwich; 646-436-7685 nimadesigninteriors.com
Roughan Interiors @roughaninteriors Roughan Interiors Weston; 203-769-1150 roughaninteriors.com
DINING ROOM
Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design Greenwich; 203-561-2616 amyhirsch.com
lulu HOME @luluhome.alana @luluhome.cami Alana Irwin Cami Luppino lulu HOME Greenwich; 203-340-2161 luluhomedesign.com
Robin Henry Studio @robinhenryid Robin Henry Robin Henry Studio Westport; 646-409-3099 robinhenrystudio.com Studio Seva @studio.seva Stephanie Viesta Studio Seva Westport; 203-273-7627 studioseva.com
COMMERCIAL SPACE Calla Cane @callacane Calla Cane Rowayton; 475-208-4888 callacane.com
Elizabeth Bolognino @ebolognino Elizabeth Bolognino Westport; 917-947-8207 elizabethbolognino.com
PLLC @further_architecture
PLLC Stratford; 203-505-9916 furtherarchitecture.com
PLAY SPACE: KID
Curated Nest Interiors @curatednest Curated Nest Interiors Rye; 414-418-7750 curatednest.com
Prudence Home and Design @prudencehomeanddesign Prudence Bailey Prudence Home and Design New Canaan; 203-859-9499 prudencehomes.com
Smart Playrooms @smartplayrooms Karri Bowen-Poole Smart Playrooms Rye, NY; 914-260-3042 smartplayrooms.com
RENOVATION
Charles Hilton Architects with Jenny Wolf Interiors @charleshiltonarchitects @jennywolfinteriors
Charles Hilton Charles Hilton Architects Greenwich; 203-489-3800 hiltonarchitects.com
Jenny Wolf Jenny Wolf Interiors New York; 212-510-8939 jennywolfinteriors.com Saniee Architects @sanieearchitects Saniee Architects Greenwich; 203-625-9308 sanieearchitects.com
VanderHorn Architects @vanderhornarchitects Douglas VanderHorn VanderHorn Architects Greenwich; 203-622-7000 vanderhornarchitects.com
OFFICE/LIBRARY
Camden Grace Interiors @camdengrace_ interiordesign Camden Grace Interiors West Hartford; 617-721-6580 camden-grace.com
Clean Design @cleandesignpartners Claire Paquin Clean Design Scarsdale, NY; 914-725-0995 cleandesignpartners.com
Neil Hauck Architects @neil_hauck_architects Neil Hauck, AIA Rob Metzgar, AIA Neil Hauck Architects Darien; 203-655-9340 neilhauckarchitects.com
PLAY SPACE: ADULT
Andrea Sinkin Design @andrea_sinkin_design
Andrea Sinkin Design Greenwich andreasinkindesign.com
Christian Rae Studio @christianraestudio
Christian Rae Studio Fairfield; 203-292-3090 christianraestudio.com
Tusk Home + Design @tuskhome
Sarah Thurston Tusk Home + Design Southport; 203-319-0001 tuskhomeanddesign.com
LANDSCAPE: Greater Than 1 Acre
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc. @artemislandarch Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc. Sandy Hook; 203-683-1808 artemisla.com
James Doyle Design Associates @jamesdoyledesign associates James Doyle Design Associates Greenwich; 203-869-2900 jdda.com MDLA LLC @mdlandarch Boston, MA + Glastonbury, CT; 203-592-4788 m-d-l-a.com
LANDSCAPE: Less Than 1 Acre
Glengate @glengatecompany Josh Wooldridge Glengate Wilton; 203-762-2000 glengatecompany.com
Marcia Tucker Interiors @marciatucker Marcia Tucker Interiors Greenwich; 203-409-3692 marciatuckerinteriors.com
Renée Byers Landscape Architect @reneebyers_ landscapearchitect
Renée Byers Landscape Architect Greenwich; 203-489-0800 reneebyers.com
Is your home ready?
Is your home ready?
Chevrolet A
Karl Chevrolet is a third-generation family business founded in 1927. Based in New Canaan, CT, Karl serves the automotive needs of consumers and businesses in the Fairfield and Westchester County markets with their hallmark personalized service. A top-rated dealer by independent sources like CarFax, Cars.com, and DealerRater, Karl’s reputation has continued to flourish in the age of digital sales. While local customers have access to outstanding sales and service experiences, shoppers from around the country have appreciated Karl Chevrolet’s no-hassle approach to business. From the beginning, Karl’s focus has been on delivering the best overall value possible to each customer. That means, no matter the demand, Karl honors the MSRP pricing on new vehicles; never charging a premium or market adjustment. It’s simply the right thing to do.
Karl has fully embraced the world of Electric Vehicles, quickly becoming one of the top retailers in the Northeast for the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. Looking ahead, the dealership is excited to welcome the all-new Chevrolet Silverado EV and Blazer EV within the next year.
In anticipation of the coming wave of EV’s, Karl has actively supported and sponsored the deployment of public EV Charging Stations around Fairfield County. The future is electric. Visit Karl Chevrolet to learn more about how you can enjoy the ride.
Ring’s End
A DDRESS: 181 West Avenue Darien, CT 06820 PHONE: 800-390-1000
WEBSITE: RingsEnd.com
End and recently acquired Johnson Paint | A Ring’s End Brand, operate 34 retail locations, serving both homeowners and trade professionals. Eight Ring’s End locations are full-service lumberyards, serving Connecticut, Westchester County, NY, and South County, Rhode Island. 26 locations are free-standing paint centers, most with dedicated design showrooms, serving communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, in addition to Connecticut.
Ring’s End and recently acquired Johnson Paint | A Ring’s End Brand, operate 34 retail locations, serving both homeowners and trade professionals. Eight Ring’s End locations are full-service lumberyards, serving Connecticut, Westchester County, NY, and South County, Rhode Island. 26 locations are free-standing paint centers, most with dedicated design showrooms, serving communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, in addition to Connecticut.
As a multi-generational family-owned and led business, Ring’s End is at the forefront of industry trends toward environmentally friendly products and local business growth. They introduce the latest and most innovative products, focusing on trends such as sustainable brands. Additionally, they educate customers on various topics, including building science, proper preparation and application of coatings, and the latest color trends. As an industry leader, Ring’s End continues to expand and evolve. In addition to its retail locations, the company has a commercial paint and lacquer facility, a custom millwork shop, a centralized distribution warehouse, an education center, and a window and door installation department.
As a multi-generational family-owned and led business, Ring’s End is at the forefront of industry trends toward environmentally friendly products and local business growth. They introduce the latest and most innovative products, focusing on trends such as sustainable brands. Additionally, they educate customers on various topics, including building science, proper preparation and application of coatings, and the latest color trends. As an industry leader, Ring’s End continues to expand and evolve. In addition to its retail locations, the company has a commercial paint and lacquer facility, a custom millwork shop, a centralized distribution warehouse, an education center, and a window and door installation department.
Your video produced by real journalists . Your business needs a high quality video. Still photos just don’t cut it. Nothing can sell you or your company better than video. Moving pictures and sound are far more engaging to customers and clients. Business videos can be multipurposed: to enhance your website, use for presentations, for e-newsletters, for social networking sites, and so on. Video is the way of today and is so easily accessible to everyone.
Emmy Award winning Kendra Farn is a veteran TV news reporter and anchor. She spent 13 years at WCBS-TV, and WNBC-TV in New York City, the country’s largest television market.
Emmy Award winning Noah Finz is a veteran TV Sports reporter and anchor. He created and manages the Vantage Sports Network from Frontier highlighting CT sports. He spent 18 years as Sports Director for WTNH-TV, Connecticut’s ABC affiliate.
At Marvin, we are driven to imagine and create better ways of living. With every window and door we make, we strive to bring more natural light and more fresh air into homes, and to create deeper connections to the natural world. We put people at the center of everything we do by designing for how people live and work and imagining new ways our products can contribute to happier and healthier homes.
As a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated company, Marvin fosters a culture committed to living our values. Our commitment to doing the right thing, working stronger together, and thinking differently inspires us to be better every day. Crafted with exceptional skill, our products deliver quality you can see, touch and feel, beauty that brings joy, and performance that stands the test of time. Driven by a spirit of possibility, our commitment to people goes beyond the products we make. We commit to long-lasting and trusting relationships with our employees, customers, channel partners and communities. Learn more at marvin.com.
AND REMEMBER...
All the winners’ and finalists’ projects will be featured in athome’s winter issue
Doyle Coffin Architecture @doylecoffin Peter T. Coffin, AIA Alex T. Bellina, AIA
Doyle Coffin Architecture Ridgefield; 203-431-6001 doylecoffinarchitecture.com
VanderHorn Architects @vanderhornarchitects Douglas VanderHorn VanderHorn Architects Greenwich; 203-622-7000 vanderhornarchitects.com
TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE: Less Than 7,000 Square Feet
Burr Salvatore Architects @burrsalvatore Burr Salvatore Architects Darien; 203-655-0303 burrsalvatore.com
Christian Rae Studio @christianraestudio
Christian Rae Studio Fairfield; 203-292-3090 christianraestudio.com
Neil Hauck Architects @neil_hauck_architects Neil Hauck, AIA Rob Metzgar, AIA Neil Hauck Architects Darien; 203-655-9340 neilhauckarchitects.com
POOL HOUSE
Christian Rae Studio @christianraestudio
Christian Rae Studio Fairfield; 203-292-3090 christianraestudio.com
Lovas Architects @lovas.architects Nancy A. Lovas Lovas Architects Westport; 203-858-8730 lovasarchitects.com
Saniee Architects @sanieearchitects Saniee Architects Greenwich; 203-625-9308 sanieearchitects.com
TRADITIONAL
ARCHITECTURE: Greater Than 7,000 Square Feet
Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design @apdarchitects Stuart Disston Joshua Rosensweig
Austin Patterson Disston Architecture and Design Fairfield County; 203-255-4031 Hamptons; 631-653-1481 apdarchitects.com
Annual Member Show Exhibition
Sept 7 - Oct 6, 2024
Just For Peanuts!
Live music & dance performance inspired by the beloved “Peanuts” comic strip characters
Sunday Sept 22 at 2pm & 4pm
Origins & Originals
Contemporary percussionist Russel Fisher
Sunday Sept 29 at 4pm
Photographs by Edward Keating
Retrospective exhibition of the late Pulizter Prizewinning photographer from New Canaan Oct. 12 - Nov 10, 2024
Art Shopping Event Featuring 40+ Artist & Artisan Vendors:
“She sings it not as musty nostalgia but as exuberant twenty-first-century pop, with a low, mesmerizing alto that is as commanding as any pop singer today...remaking Fado’s ancient sadness into a majestic modern sound.” — Rolling Stone
Acclaimed Portuguese Fado singer
October 6 • 7 p.m.
Machine de Cirque
Ghost Light: Between Fall and Flight
October 24 • 7:30 p.m.
Perfect for the whole family! Become a
Bari Weiss
The Bennett Lecture in Judaic Studies
A Community Forum
October 28 • 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Join us for a fun-filled evening of bonfires, dancing, and drinks at Fireside! Bring your friends! You don’t want to miss this fantastic party!
Your support helps us: Care for our 22 species of animals
Create captivating programs for adults, children, and families
Bring climate change and sustainability curriculum to Darien schools
Outreach to underserved communities
Maintain our building, keep it free and open to the public six days a week
The Darien Nature Center is a fully self-funded non-profit that does not receive any funding from the town or state. The money we raise at Fireside significantly impacts our ability to deliver high-quality programming to Darien and surrounding communities. Your support, whether through attending the event or spreading the word, is invaluable to us, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity.
R EACH Prep provides access to transformative educational experiences that empower underserved, high-achieving students to graduate from top colleges and emerge as the next generation of leaders.
MAY 18 NEIL YOUNG + CRAZY HORSE
MAY 24 THE BEACH BOYS W/ DAVE MASON
MAY 31 COLE SWINDELL W/ DYLAN SCOTT & MACKENZIE CARPENTER
JUNE 1 THE BRYSON TILLER TOUR
JUNE 13 TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVE W/ BIG BOI
JUNE 14 BONNIE RAITT
JUNE 18 NIALL HORAN
JUNE 20 JAY WHEELER
JUNE 21 BILLY CURRINGTON W/ LARRY FLEET & REDFERRIN
JUNE 23 SARAH MCLACHLAN W/ FEIST
JUNE 28 LAINEY WILSON W/ IAN MUNSICK & ZACH TOP
JULY 23 HALESTORM & I PREVAIL W/ HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD & FIT FOR A KING F OR A KING
JULY 24 SAMMY HAGAR W/ LOVERBOY
JULY 26 / 27 BILLY STRINGS
JULY 30 CHICAGO AND EARTH, WIND & FIRE
AUG 2 QUEENS OF R&B: XSCAPE & SWV
AUG 3 311 W/ AWOLNATION & NEON TREES
AUG 6 CREED W/ TONIC & FINGER ELEVEN
AUG 9 THE DOOBIE BROTHERS W/ STEVE WINWOOD
AUG 17 STRAY CATS
JUNE 29 A DAY TO REMEMBER W/ THE STORY SO FAR, FOUR YEAR STRONG, & PAIN OF TRUTH
JULY 5 JASON MRAZ W/ RIPE
JULY 14 RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES
JULY 16 TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL THOMAS DOLBY, THE ROMANTICS, THE MEN WITHOUT HATS, MODERN ENGLISH & MORE
JULY 18 DIRTY HEADS & SLIGHTLY STOOPID W/ COMMON KINGS & ELOVATERS
JULY 19 JORDAN DAVIS W/ MITCHELL TENPENNY
JULY 20 BRIT FLOYD
JULY 21 O.A.R. W/ FITZ & THE TANTRUMS & DJ LOGIC
AUG 18 WHISKEY MYERS W/ BLACKBERRY SMOKE & EDDIE FLINT
AUG 19 CAGE THE ELEPHANT W/ YOUNG THE GIANT & BAKAR
AUG 22 IMPRACTICAL JOKERS
AUG 23 / 24 TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND W/ SPECIAL GUEST MARGO PRICE
AUG 30 YOUNG MIKO
AUG 31 WALKER HAYES W/ KYLIE MORGAN & TENILLE ARTS
SEPT 3 DEEP PURPLE W/ YES
SEPT 4 / 5 JAMES TAYLOR & HIS ALL-STAR BAND
SEPT 14 KILLER QUEEN W/ VOYAGE
SEPT 15 JANE’S ADDICTION AND LOVE & ROCKETS
SEPT 22 THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE
SEPT 25 THE MARLEY BROTHERS
SEPT 26 MT. JOY
OCT 5 KINGS OF LEON W/ PHANTOGRAM AND MANY MORE!!
Moffly
PATRON TICKETS
• Skip the crowds. Skip the lines.
• Receive early admission 1:00pm.
• Includes Patron Movie Night on Friday, October 18 at 5:00pm plus, popcorn and treats, pizza truck, beverages and a VIP Gift Bag!
Sunday, October 20, 2024
2:00pm – 5:30pm | Greenwich Polo Club
TICKETS: GLTrust.org
25th Anniversar y
Our Mission
Tickets include EVERYTHING!
Ferris Wheel * Giant Corn Maze
Food & Beverage Trucks * Pony Rides
Gaga Courts * Rock Climbing Wall
Flag Football * Petting Zoo
Touch – A – Truck * Crafts and so much more!
As of 07/27/24
The mission of Breast Cancer Alliance is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure.
To promote these goals, we invest in innovative research, breast surgery fellowships, regional education, dignified support and screening for the underserved.
To learn more visit breastcanceralliance.org
Breast Cancer Alliance, 48 Maple Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 info@breastcanceralliance.org
Yonni Wattenmaker, Executive Director
• Special section following our annual Top Lawyers editorial feature
• Annual guide to Fairfield County’s law firms & legal experts
• Custom profile created for your practice
• Reach an audience of 200,000+ families and local residents
• One year inclusion in our online lawyers directory
• Bonus issue distribution to local events reaching families, charitable organizations and community influencers Issue Date: November/December 2024
Newsstands: November 1, 2024
Date: September 9, 2024 Contact Morgan Howell, Moffly Media Account Executive at Morgan.Howell@moffly.com for more information.
Family
Greenwich
Scheduling this issue's cover story was a challenge, but worth every second of the juggling needed to make it happen. The shoot took place on a Thursday evening in July following a long stretch of stormy weather. The weather needed to cooperate, as our cover star was leaving for Paralympic training soon after the shoot. Lucky for us, the sun came out, and photographer Katharine Calderwood's vision came to fruition. After capturing portraits of Ali on the pier, Katharine jumped into the pool for the incredible underwater action shots. The gorgeous sunset at the end of the evening capped off a perfect day.
