More than 400 people gathered at the iconic Angus Barn in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, for The Evening of Hope, raising money for groundbreaking mental health research.
The Evening of Hope is a charity dinner and live auction to benefit the Foundation of Hope, a North Carolina-based non-profit that invests in mental health initiatives and research.
CPI Security has supported the Foundation of Hope since 2015 and returned as the presenting sponsor of the Evening of Hope for the fifth-consecutive year.
“Too many people, especially our young people, are struggling with mental health issues,” CEO and Founder of CPI Security Ken Gill said. “The Foundation of Hope is doing important work to change that, and we’re proud to be supporting the groundbreaking research they’re funding.”
More than $812,000 was raised during the silent and live auction and from generous donors. The money raised will support the Foundation of Hope Child and Adolescent Anxiety Mood and Disorders Program (CHAAMP). CHAAMP, which operates within the Department of Psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine, is a first-of-its-kind program in North Carolina. The goal of the program is to address the urgent need for adequate treatment for youth experiencing anxiety and mood disorders.
To close a successful evening of fundraising, entertainment icon and mental health advocate Marie Osmond delivered the keynote speech. While commending the crowd for raising important dollars for mental health, Osmond spoke candidly of her struggle with mental illness including childhood traumas, post-partum depression, and the tragic passing of her son to suicide.
“The stigma and the shame that I carry was daunting,” Osmond said. “And at that time, so many of us suffered in silence. I didn’t want to tell anybody I was struggling. And I said, I will share my story with the hopes that maybe someone else who might be feeling dreadfully alone, like I did, would be helped.”
“And by being here and showing your support … You should be so proud of yourselves for doing that. And I commend you and everybody here for the vision that you have. I know, I don’t just believe, but I know there will be many families who will be blessed because you stepped up and supported this incredible cause,” Osmond said.
For more information about the Evening of Hope and the Foundation of Hope’s work, click here.
