Skip to main content

A Clubhouse Night for Jeff Yusko

Wed, 11/15/2023 - 11:29
Jeff Yusko, right, with his wife, Kelly
Courtesy Yusko family

The South Fork community continues to rally around Jeffrey Yusko, a longtime Wainscott resident and former East Hampton High School gym teacher who was hit by a van while riding his bicycle in Sagaponack on May 5.

Mr. Yusko suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident, although he was wearing a bike helmet at the time. He was kept in a medically induced coma for six weeks. Since then, Mr. Yusko's eyes have opened and he has been "awake and alert" for a few hours a day, said one of his sons, Tyler Yusko, by phone last week. He keeps his father company most days at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey, which has been treating him since early July.

Mr. Yusko's wife, Kelly Yusko, teaches at the Wainscott School, and Mr. Yusko has worked for many years at P.C. Richard and Sons. To support the Yusko family, there will be a fund-raiser Friday evening at the Clubhouse on Daniel's Hole Road in Wainscott from 6 to 9. Admission is $40 per person or $75 per couple, and includes food and live music; there will also be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and a cash bar.

Mr. Yusko, 63, was riding his bike on Montauk Highway in the vicinity of the Townline BBQ restaurant when he was struck from behind by a van traveling westbound. According to Tyler Yusko, he was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital with bleeding in his brain, a broken sternum, multiple broken ribs, and an orbital eye fracture.

Although the bleeding was soon stopped and the broken bones are healing, Mr. Yusko still has a long road to recovery, his son said.

"There's no correspondence yet — no talking yet — and he still has a feeding tube," Tyler Yusko, the eldest of the Yusko children, said. "It's a very unfortunate situation. There are good days and bad days for sure. . . . It's not easy, but we're hoping for the best."

The Yuskos are hoping for a homecoming within the next three to five weeks and are renovating the family house in Wainscott to make it wheelchair-accessible. Other anticipated expenses include medical supplies and a specially equipped van. Meanwhile, they are searching for registered nurses to provide at-home services, although they have not yet had much luck, Tyler Yusko said.

"We're grateful for the outpouring of support. The town has been really great," he said. "We have to hope that a little bit of a miracle happens."

Friends and community members can follow Jeff Yusko's journey on Instagram at @prayersforjeff and on GoFundMe by searching "Pray for Jeffrey."

Villages

L.V.I.S. Fair Is Set for Saturday

The Ladies Village Improvement Society’s annual fair happens on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and this year’s “is bigger than ever,” the society says. Not only will the carousel be back, but the Playland area for kids will be expanded. There will be face painting, a roving magician, a bubble artist, and pony rides for the little ones. 

Jun 12, 2025

Montauk Chemists Opens, Minus Pharmacy

Frank Calvo, the longtime pharmacist at White’s Drug and Department Store, which closed on Oct. 31, has opened Montauk Chemists on Main Street and is selling over-the-counter merchandise including vitamins and self-care products. One week after an inspection of the store’s pharmacy, however, he is still awaiting New York State approval to operate it. 

Jun 12, 2025

Slow Start at New Gosman’s

In some ways, Gosman’s Dock, one of Montauk’s few remaining family-owned and operated businesses until its October 2024 sale, closely resembles the complex of restaurants and shops long revered by locals and visitors alike. In other ways, though, it is markedly different under its new ownership. 

Jun 12, 2025

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.