Fashion, Media and Business Icons Join Forces to Support the Oldest and Largest Alcoholism and Addiction Advocacy Organization in America
New York, New York (PRWEB) October 29, 2013 -- The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence held its Inaugural Gala on October 23, 2013, at New York City’s landmark Waldorf Astoria Hotel to celebrate the lives of the millions of Americans now in recovery from alcoholism and addiction and to honor Hamilton South, a marketing and communications executive dedicated to supporting the mission of NCADD and helping to spread the word that recovery from alcoholism and addiction is possible. Attended by luminaries in the fashion, media and business worlds, the event was organized by co-chairs Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg, Barry Sternlicht, James Abernathy, and Aby and Samantha Rosen.
Featuring a short film by Emmy-nominated producer Michael Rourke about NCADD and its mission of fighting the Nation’s #1 health problem – alcoholism, drug addiction and the devastating consequences of alcohol and other drugs on individuals, families and communities, the Gala served to highlight the need for more people to invest in the solution to alcoholism and addiction: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery. As noted in the film, while over 406 billion dollars are spent on the often catastrophic consequences of alcoholism and addiction -- lost productivity, health care, accidents – only a fraction of this sum is invested in treatment and vital recovery support services.
Jessica Yellin, CNN’s chief White House correspondent and the evening’s emcee, referred to statistics cited in the film that 140,000 people die every year from alcoholism and drug dependence, 384 per day and 16 per hour, remarking “In the time since we’ve been sitting here having our dinner, over 32 people have died of alcoholism and addiction.”
Founded in 1944 by Mrs. Marty Mann, for nearly 70 years NCADD has been providing hope, help and healing to individuals, families and communities suffering from alcoholism and drug dependence across the U.S. With a National Network of Affiliates, NCADD provides direct help and assistance through community-based education and prevention programs, advocacy and awareness activities, and local recovery support services. “Throughout our long history, countless alcoholics, addicts, their families and friends have taken the first steps toward recovery with the help of NCADD and its Affiliates,” said NCADD President and CEO, Robert Lindsey, noting that “over 55 million individuals and families across the U.S. were served by NCADD in the past year alone, bringing hope, help and healing within reach.”
“Many of my closest friends are in recovery,” noted honoree Hamilton South, “and I watched my youngest brother’s lifelong struggle with alcohol and substance abuse end with him dying of a drug overdose at age 37. My brother Tom was an extraordinary guy who had access to every conceivable program and to all manner of education…for him none of it seemed to work. It’s a very difficult disease to understand. In fact, it’s often hard to get people to understand that it's a disease at all,” said South, adding that NCADD is desperately needed to continue disseminating research about alcoholism and drug dependence, increasing awareness and helping make treatment more available. Describing the critical work provided by NCADD, Rourke, who has produced shows for VH1 and NBC News, summed up: “NCADD provides consistent hope for hopeless situations.”
With 23,000,000 people suffering from alcoholism and drug dependence in America, something has to be done. In the words of R. Gil Kerlikowski, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, “Addiction is not a moral failing on the part of the individual, it’s a chronic disease of the brain that can be treated. And it’s a fact that neither government nor the public can ignore.”
Raising more than $500,000 for the organization, the NCADD Inaugural Gala was attended and supported by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg, Barry Sternlicht, Ralph and Ricki Lauren, Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Police Commissioner Ray and Veronica Kelly, Ellen Barkin, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Wendi Murdoch, David and Lauren Bush Lauren, Graydon and Anna Carter, Andy Cohen, Bryan Lourd, Carole Radziwill, Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch, Lauren and Richard Dupont, Jessica Hart, Stavros Niarchos, Tamara Mellon, David and Sybil Yurman, Agnes Gund, James and Gina de Givenchy, Jason and Lauren Blum, Peter Thum and Cara Buono, among others.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCE, INC.
Our Mission: Founded in 1944, The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) and its National Network of Affiliates is a voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting our Nation's number one health problem -- alcoholism and drug addiction and the devastating consequences of alcohol and other drugs on individuals, families and communities.
Our Vision: To share the joy of recovery; to break down the barriers of ignorance; to encourage individuals, families, companies and communities to seek help.
For more Information, Contact:
Robert J. Lindsey, President/CEO
(212) 269-7797, ext. 19
e-mail: president(at)ncadd(dot)org
http://www.ncadd.org
Ames Sweet, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, +1 (212) 316-4783, [email protected]
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