(PALM BEACH) – Dreams were alive at the Sailfish Club of Florida as more than 200 Hanley Foundation supporters came out on January 17, 2019 for the Dreamcatcher Palm Beach Dinner. The event called attention to the Foundation’s mission to combat addiction by preventing children’s experimentation with drugs and alcohol, educating parents and caregivers and providing access to quality substance use disorder treatment. The celebration was led by Chairs Judy and Fritz Van der Grift and Honorary Chairs Loy Anderson and Clark Appleby.
According to the Foundation, Dreamcatcher represents its mission of protecting the dreams of children through prevention and restoring the dreams of those suffering a substance use disorder through quality treatment.
Guests enjoyed a reception of passed hors d’oeuvres and mingled as they bid on one-of-a-kind silent auction items. Musical duo, The Eve n’ Paparo Band, took the stage to entertain guests throughout the evening. The reception was followed by a lavish signature Sailfish Club of Florida dinner buffet including an array of decadent desserts.
“This is Hanley Foundation’s 35th year of making a difference in the lives of individuals and families,” said Sarah Cortvriend, Board Chair for Hanley Foundation. “The Foundation impacts our community through initiatives and programs in four areas – prevention, education, advocacy and access to quality treatment. Through your support of tonight’s dinner, you are helping the Foundation impact even more individuals and families. And for that we are extremely grateful.”
Event Chairs, Judy and Fritz Van der Grift, thanked the evening’s sponsors including Florida House Experience, Hanley Family Foundation, The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, The Marvin Davidson Foundation, Drew and Amy Rothermel, Joanie and Paul Van der Grift, Wilmington Trust, Grain and Barrell Spirits, Margaret and Franck Duriez, Yardley M. Manfuso, Peter and Sydney McKelvy, Donna Marks and D. Culver Smith III, Taylor and James Schneider, Denise A. Hanley Real Estate, Integrity Billing, Sober Escorts, Steinger, Iscoe & Greene, P.A., The Taylor Foundation, Maury Wolfe, Richard and Charlene Johnson, Wellness Resource Center, Lilly Pulitzer and Palm Beach Society magazine.
Fritz then introduced Turner Benoit, Chief Development Officer for Hanley Foundation.
“This past year has really been a milestone year,” said Benoit “A year ago, we introduced the Lifesaver Society. This is a group of individual donors and foundations that support our scholarship fund through annualized giving. Our goal is to help as many people as possible get lifesaving addiction treatment. This year alone we helped almost 75 people gain access to treatment they wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. But the need is so great, and we can’t come close to helping all those who need it. So tonight, please take some time to consider becoming a member of the Lifesaver Society. Think about all those you know who have been affected and think about how you can become part of the solution.”
The Palm Beach Dinner host committee included Inger Anderson, Kent Anderson, Jennifer and Matti Antilla, Sissy Armstrong, Lyanne Azqueta, Fletcher Baker, Mary and Kane Baker, Blair and Kenny Beall, Nellie Benoit, Quinn and Whitmore Benoit, Jason Briggs, Liza and Bob Calhoun, Mary Brittain and Kendall Cheatham, Briggs and Nicholas Coleman, Kim and Payson Coleman, Carissa and Nick Coniglio, Rachel and Steve Docekal, Margaret and Franck Duriez, Denise Groo and Val Perez, Denise and Dan Hanley, Charlene and Richard Johnson, Susan and Mike Kirkpatrick, Judy and Jerry Kling, Ivey and Bobby Leidy, Sydney and Peter McKelvy, Dede and Laddy Merck, Linda and Lev Miller, Cat and Tom Miller, Muffie and Stephen Murray, David G. Ober, Piper Quinn, Eddie Schmidt and Ozzie Medeiros, Taylor and James Schneider and Joanie and Paul Van der Grift.
In the early 1980s, Mary Jane and Jack Hanley retired to Palm Beach County to discover the absence of any facilities dedicated to quality substance abuse treatment. Through the couple’s visionary leadership and great support from the community, Hanley Center and the Hanley Center Foundation were established. Nearly 40 years later and now expanded throughout Florida, the community continues to recognize the stand-alone Hanley Foundation with great support for its thought leadership, grantmaking and evidence-based programming. The charitable 501(c)(3) organization provides statewide resources for substance use disorder advocacy, education and access to quality treatment. The organization’s prevention programming is available to schools, churches and community groups through grant funding provided by the Florida Department of Children and Families, office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. With your support, the Hanley Foundation is taking critical steps to change the conversation around substance use disorders.
For more information about substance abuse prevention and education programming, please visit the website hanleyfoundation.org.
