Amanda Hearst Rønning Hosted a Comedy-Filled Dinner to Save the Mangroves

On Friday night, overlooking Mecox Bay, Amanda Hearst Rønning introduced a little laughter to the Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club for a good cause: fittingly, ocean health. Comedian Cipha Sounds served as emcee, kicking off the festivities by candidly asking the crowd: “You all think we’re not going to have fun because we’re here for a good cause? You can mix a good cause and fun together!”

Fun was certainly had by all. After cocktails and canapés on the club’s oceanfront deck and private beach, guests including Jill Stuart, Peter Thomas Roth, and Tamu McPherson enjoyed a fully vegan menu of sweet potato empanadas, wheatberry barley salad, pad thai, and seitan chorizo tacos, with sustainable wine by Out East (naturally) and a musical performance by Tierra del Fuego. After dinner, there was a live auction with prizes from a VIP stay at the Starbucks sustainable coffee farm in Costa Rica to a sailing trip with the Kennedys in Maine.

Not once did attendees lose sight of why Rønning and her charitable organization WELL/BEINGS, which supports animal welfare and environmental protection, had gathered them together. Referencing the mangroves—“one of our greatest natural allies in the fight against climate change”—she said: “I’m absolutely in awe of these amazing sea forests with the amount of carbon they absorb, the breeding ground and habitat they provide for untold species, and the protection they provide for storms and toxic runoff.”

Later on, the party continued at a beachside bonfire hosted by Saks with an open bar and s’mores—vegan, of course.