Butterfly Effect Project revives its ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ event

After social media attacks forced the organization’s founder to cancel the event this past spring, The Butterfly Effect Project’s Pearls of Wisdom tea party fundraiser is back on this weekend.

The second annual Pearls of Wisdom Tea is on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mastic Beach Property Owners Association in Mastic Beach. The event is free, open to the public and black attire is required for all attendees.

Tijuana Fulford, BEP’s founder, said the purpose of the event of to celebrate and uplift the young girls and women in the community. Each of the 12 remarkable women chosen to speak at the event will share three minutes of wisdom that will empower, inspire and motivate those in the audience.

“A good indicator of a person is not what they do when they’re getting a paycheck for it, but what they do when nobody’s looking,” Ms. Fulford said. “I want[ed] a collection of women who embody womanhood and all the complicated, beautiful ways of it.”

In the past, the small fundraiser did charge for tickets. However, Ms. Fulford said she decided to bring the focus back to the event itself and open it up to as many as possible.

Instead of entry tickets, proceeds from raffle ticket sales will go towards BEP’s College Access and Retention Program, which primarily assists BEP’s high school students in covering the cost of college applications and SAT prep. The program also provides support to current college students.

One sheet is priced at $25 and three sheets of tickets are $50. The over 100 raffle baskets donated by Nancy Reyer of the Michael’s Smile Collection will be filled with gift cards, luxury items and other goodies.

There are four different event sponsorship opportunities to support this empowering event as well, ranging from $250 to $1,000.

“The need for college funding and assistance is becoming really hard, especially with a lot of new changes coming down the pipeline with FAFSA this year, a lot of organizations closing their doors and a lot of funding streams being discontinued,” Ms. Fulford said. “Children are at risk of losing opportunities to further their education.”

To reserve tickets for the event, fill out BEP’s registration form at shorturl.at/2GYzX.

Here are the 12 women who will be featured at the 2025 Pearls of Wisdom event on Saturday:

Kimberly Joy Dixon – Director of Employer Engagement & Diversity Recruitment Career Center at Stony Brook University

Dr. Dionne Walker Belgrave – Affirmative Action Officer/Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Suffolk County Community College

Shanneikqua Tolliver – Payroll Supervisor Founder & CEO of Tolliver Touch Suffolk County Certified Minority and Woman Owned Custom Apparel and Keepsake Business

Gloria Dingwall – President of Long Island (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated

Julienne Penza – Executive Director, Westhampton Beach Performing Art Center

Vermona Brandon – Employee of the US Postal Service & Licensed Real Estate Agent

Katonya Trent – An advocate who will share her journey from a traumatic birth to a transformative purpose

Chanell Smiley – LCSW Founder, Keep Smiling Therapy

Jeanette Permenter – Chief Executive Officer Rise Life Services and Chairwoman of Do Something About It inc.

Gail Farmer – NCBW SC Economic Committee Chair

Dr. Kerry Spooner – Founder & President, Sound Justice Initiative

Carol Eddins – Assessment Counselor specializing in Alcohol/Substance Abuse Disorder