Ten Million in Ten Years
With the world still in the throes of a global pandemic and in-person gatherings not yet a fully safe reality for many, EE found new and creative ways to gather the community for two successful event fundraisers in 2021. In May, EE pivoted its annual New York-based event — EENY — to a virtual format for the second consecutive year and drew inspiration from its 2020 “The Magic Line” campaign and the children’s book, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” to host “The Magic Line: Drawing a Future Without CF” virtual event.
Writer and entrepreneur Erin Foster headlined EENY 2021
Highlights from the program included celebrity host Erin Foster serving as emcee, an interview of Emily by Rebecca Jarvis, Chief Business, Technology, and Economics correspondent at ABC News, and recognition of the 2021 EENY Champions (young professionals who stepped up to leverage their networks and talents to raise funds for EE) and 2021 Champion-of-the-Year Jessica Rotman.
EE closed the year by reinventing its tenth annual An Evening with Emily’s Entourage: The Power of 10 as a “drive-in” experience, complete with retro drive-in movie theater-style vibes, including popcorn and snack boxes delivered to car windows, a concession stand, iconic movie theme songs beaming from the speakers, and the friendly faces of EE volunteers. Held in the parking lot of Adath Israel synagogue in Merion Station, PA, the evening hosted hundreds of supporters in person and virtually — all in the name of speeding breakthroughs for the final 10% of the CF community.
The event included powerful in-person remarks by EE co-founder Emily Kramer-Golinkoff, Emily’s sister Julia and brother Coby, honorary chairs Lorri and Ted Bernstein, and a virtual message from Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Meta, who shared a deeply heartfelt message for the Entourage and her respect for both Emily and EE. The evening also included a retrospective video that highlighted EE’s progress during its ten years.
Longtime EE supporter Nikki Bernstein recognized the accomplishments of the 2021 CureFinders Crew (CF Crew), a fundraising group led by those living with the disease and the people who love them, and EE Champions. This year’s CF Crew, which was comprised of ten people with CF and their loved ones, raised $57,352, while the 2021 Champions raised $31,484 in the search for a cure. The 2021 Champion-of-the-Year, “Team Seeking a Cure!,” made up of Emily’s best friends from college, raised $14,313.
Most remarkably, the evening marked a milestone as EE surpassed the $10 million all-time fundraising mark over ten years. As the thermometer rose and donations flooded in from around the globe, sparklers erupted, car horns blasted, LED batons waved, and a gospel choir sang as supporters celebrated a truly historic evening for the Entourage.
In addition to hosting its own fundraisers, EE received support from multiple individuals and organizations that hosted community events throughout the year. These included:
Of, By, and For the CF Community
There is nobody with a deeper vested interest in fast progress for the final 10% of the CF community than those living with the disease and the people who love them. The CureFinders (CF) Crew was created to provide a space where the CF community can come together in support of EE’s mission to speed lifesaving research and drug development for the final 10% of the CF community, including those with nonsense mutations of CF. In 2021, the CF Crew raised $58,345.01. This is one of their stories: