Ramping Up Typhoon Relief

       East End Cares, which was formed on the heels of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and Gurney’s Inn in Montauk are joining forces to host a fund-raiser on Friday, Dec. 13, to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which caused massive destruction in the Philippines last month.

       The event, East End Cares for Leyte, will run from 7 to 11 p.m. and feature music by local bands, Filipino-inspired hors d’oeuvres prepared by local chefs, wines donated by Osprey Dominion, and raffles. Tickets are $25.

       According to Melissa Berman, one of the founders of East End Cares, the loosely knit organization works with Paddlers for Humanity, which can be contacted at p4h.org, to funnel donations to those in distress.

       The group has been working with Venus Yunker, who is Filipino and lives in Montauk, to provide relief to residents of her family’s village, Hindang, on the island of Leyte.

       Brian Lydon of East Hampton, whom Ms. Berman described as a “superstar volunteer,” has traveled to the Philippines to help with the relief effort.

       Among the items being donated are medicine, water-filtration kits, and solar chargers.

       “The good thing is money goes far,” Ms. Berman said, adding that a new roof can be put on a house for as little as $40.

       She said that East End Cares is not technically a relief organization. “We’re a Facebook page group,” she said. “We try to connect good will with opportunity.”

       Ms. Berman thanked Paul Monte, the general manager of Gurney’s Inn, and its staff for providing so much help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and for the current relief effort.