Neighbor News - Apr 27, 2005
Former Montville mayor among those honored at NewBridge gala
"Thanks to the relentless caring, dedication and help of the NewBridge staff, I am living, breathing evidence that the system does work," said Steve Haas of Little Falls, NJ, keynote speaker at NewBridge Services’ Fifth Annual Gala, The Magic of NewBridge.
Haas, who battled mental illness for many years before turning his life around, was one of 150 agency friends, staff and community leaders who came together to celebrate strides in mental health services at the gala, which raised thousands of dollars for children’s and seniors’ programs in Morris and Passaic counties.
"Steve Haas set the tone for the evening with his story of hope in the face of mental illness and it was simply a very special night," said Robert L. Parker, Executive Director, NewBridge. "There are many success stories today as a result of people like our honored guests who dedicate themselves to helping others move forward."
Mary Jo Codey, First Lady of New Jersey, John Rosellini, former Mayor of Montville Township and Chairman of the Board at Chilton Memorial Hospital, and Mary Kuzinski, Executive Director of the Passaic County Department of Senior Services, Disability and Veterans’ Affairs, received NewBridge’s 2005 Helping People Move Forward awards.
In addition to recognizing the efforts of the honorees, the evening also cast a spotlight on those who have benefited from the system, like Haas.
Haas received a standing ovation for his address that chronicled his battle with mental illness and the road to recovery and immediately after his speech, was told that two anonymous donors had pledged $2,000 toward his education for a counseling degree. A group of guests also pledged $250 toward Haas’ textbooks.
Chilton Memorial Hospital and Janssen Pharmaceutica were gold sponsors for the event, JP Morgan Chase was the silver sponsor, and Cenveo, Pfizer and Porter’s Cleaning Service were bronze sponsors.
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