The Co-Grand Marshals for the Race were Grier Henchy, the 16-year-old daughter of Brooke Shields, and Hayden Lucas, who was one of the creators of the event.  Grier is following in her mother’s advocacy footsteps, as Brooke Shields herself was honored by HDRF with the Hope Award for Depression Advocacy in 2009.

Soul Cycle’s Stacey Griffith, mental health advocate and social media influencer, spun her signature playlist as DJ for the race.  The music reinforced the energy of the crowd as they waited for the Race to begin against the backdrop of New York Harbor, downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. 

Grier Henchy said: “Today is all about the message of hope and how we can make it safe to talk about mental health.  It’s really important for every teen to know it is okay to not be okay – and to reach out for help.”

Hayden Lucas, who also served as the Chief Student Ambassador for the Race, is a junior at Dwight High School.  He came to HDRF with the idea of a Teen Race after he had run in a recent Race of Hope in Southampton, NY. 

Lucas said: “HDRF has supported the idea of the Teen Race from the beginning. Thanks to them we are able to run here today to spread awareness and work towards ending the stigma about mental health.”

The state of teen mental health across the nation is urgent.  Last year the surgeon general declared a national emergency in teen mental health.  More than one in three high school students reports feeling persistent hopelessness, a 40% increase since 2009.  Suicide has become the second leading cause of death for teens ages 15 to 19.  

“These staggering statistics underscore the vital importance of uniting New York’s school communities to better understand the signs of depression and how to talk to teens about it,” said HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton in opening remarks before the Race.  

HDRF Founding Chair Audrey Gruss also took the podium before the Race to acknowledge the teens for their energy and activism on the anti-stigma front.

Gruss said: “The Teen Race of Hope is primed to even be bigger than our Race of Hope and this is because young people know how to make change. All of you, the young people in our community, are going to be the ones who can make a real difference. That is why this race is so important and that is why it’s going to be the most talked about event in New York.”

The Teen Race of Hope is a 5K (3.1 mile) U.S. Track and Field-certified race.  At the starting gun, participants set off to complete the 3.1-mile course starting at Pier 40 Hudson River Park and continuing along the esplanade with beautiful views of the Hudson River.  Everyone sported HDRF’s signature sunshine yellow color with matching caps and t-shirts.

The event, which raised $35,000, marked HDRF’s first Race of Hope in New York City and the first one to be youth focused. HDRF also has held an annual Race of Hope in Palm Beach, FL and Southampton, NY.

At the close of the Race, Audrey Gruss presented awards to the top finishers and to the top fundraisers.  First prize for Best Male Time went to James Knox, and first prize for the Best Female Time went to his mother, Sarah Knox.  The award for Top Fundraising Team went to the Dwight School team.  The award for Best Costume went to the Sunshine Girls, who wore matching yellow outfits with flower sunglasses.

Second place for Best Male Time went to Cesar Hernandez and second place for the Best Female Time went to Luisa Cavalli, third place for Best Male Time went to Isaac Jeffrey, and third place for the Best Female Time went to Dawn Brewer.

All Race participants received a signature yellow shirt, cap and finisher medal. The first, second, and third place winners received medals based on the winnings. The costume contest that was held during the race encouraged all participants and supporters to show up in their best yellow ensemble, with the winner Sunshine Girls taking home a $100 bank card. 

The Teen Race of Hope was supported by local student teen ambassadors including Hayden Lucas, Chief Student Ambassador, Mia Abramson, Marni Arons, Alva Carlston, Hannah Diker, Sophie Higgins, Abigail Kidd, Tanner Klipstein, Ruby McKillips, Jeremy Negrin, Summer Nelson, Sophia Rossi, Noelle Saldana, Gui Sequiera , Ai Vy Shulman, Andrew Wetenhall, Amelia Wetenhall.

HDRF has been a leader in research since 2006, convening top brain researchers from different universities to pool data and expertise to find new and better treatments for anxiety and depression.  HDRF also works to raise awareness of depression as a medical illness and to educate the public about the facts of depression and remove the stigma that still surrounds it.

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION (HDRF)

HDRF was founded in 2006 by philanthropist Audrey Gruss in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with clinical depression. Today, HDRF is the leading nonprofit organization focused solely on advanced depression research into new and better treatments for the illness. The World Health Organization has declared depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide, and yet conventional medications today are outdated and do not fully work for 50% of patients. The mission of the HDRF is to spur innovative neuroscience research into the origins, medical diagnosis, new treatments, and prevention of depression and its related mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicide. To date, HDRF has provided more than $50 million through over 200 grants for breakthrough depression research that promises to transform the way depression is viewed, diagnosed, treated and prevented. Currently, HDRF has a potential new class of medication in pilot clinical trials at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Columbia University, and Stanford University. HDRF is also funding clinical trials into other novel therapeutics and diagnostic tests at Johns Hopkins, University of San Diego, and the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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2021 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy and Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, received the Community Ambassador of Hope Award.  Findlay Galleries, represented by CEO James Borynack and COO Adolfo Zaralegui, received the HOPE Corporate Visionary Award. 

Master of Ceremonies, Chuck Scarborough began the event by welcoming everyone and speaking about the pressures society has faced during the pandemic and lockdown over the past 18 months.  He then took the audience back to 2006, the year HDRF was founded, covering major headlines and happenings of the day, such as the growth of Facebook.  He also mentioned that in 2006, depression was severely stigmatized and research into new treatments was stalled.   He stated, “It seemed there was no hope,” before introducing HDRF Founder and Chair Audrey Gruss.

Gruss then came to the podium to discuss the staggering statistics of depression today and the foundation’s significant accomplishments in its mission to address the epidemic.  Depression is the Number One cause of disability worldwide and is at an all-time high across the world in the wake of COVID-19.

Gruss noted the Foundation works on two fronts: 1) to raise awareness educate the public about depression and 2) research into the root causes of depression in the brain and new and better treatments.

On the education front, Gruss spoke about the myriad of topics covered at the annual luncheon seminar over 15 years, from depression and genes, depression and pain, depression in children, depression in men, to depression through the lifecycle.   She also highlighted the many celebrities that have appeared at the Foundation’s events to raise awareness, including Lorraine Bracco, Terry Bradshaw, Jane Pauley, Anderson Cooper, Brooke Shields, and Taraji P. Henson, to name a few. Gruss noted another way in which the Foundation raises awareness is through the Hope Fragrance Collection, which gives 100% of the net profits to depression research.

Gruss also pointed to remarkable research progress by the Foundation’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, which she convened in 2010.   The DTF has largely defined the entire filed of depression research in the past decade and currently has two potential new categories of medication in clinical trials.  Several more potential new treatments are in the pipeline.

Ms. Gruss also poignantly shared that she launched the foundation in 2006 in honor of her mother, Hope, who struggled with depression. She watched her mother endure treatment by trial and error, hospitalizations, and the life-sapping loss of energy that is the mark of major depression.  Conventional medications for depression, she said, have not changed in over 35 years and are not fully effective in 50% of patients.  Furthermore, these medications are all based on the same formula as the first SSRI, Prozac, introduced in 1985.  Gruss said HDRF is determined to change that by discovering new targets for treatment in the brain.  

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton took the floor to speak about how the Hope for Depression Research Foundation has built national awareness, even despite the pandemic. She highlighted the Foundation’s Race of Hope, a 5K Run/Walk in Palm Beach, FL in the winter and Southampton, NY in the summer. During the pandemic both races went virtual, an adaptation that allowed thousands of runners from all over the nation to participate.  Even as the race of Hope returns to in-person events, HDRF will host a Nationwide Virtual Race of Hope in May as part of the mental health awareness month celebration. Benton also spoke about the New Treatment Initiative (NTI), whereby HDRF has awarded four “Defeating Depression Awards” to promising new treatments for depression in development at universities across the country.

Dr. Helen Mayberg, a member of the Depression Task Force, then came on stage to give the audience an update on important research progress.  Mayberg is a pioneer in deep brain stimulation, a surgical intervention for severe, resistant depression.  She is currently the founding director of the Center for Circuit Therapeutics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  Her work has helped the Depression Task Force identify brain circuits in depression.

The medical keynote speaker, Dr. Conor Liston, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Brain and Mind Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine, delivered a presentation about the importance of the gut microbiome to our mental health.    Every human has a second brain, he said, called the enteric nervous system, consisting of 100 million neurons embedded in the walls of our digestive tract.  There, too, live trillions upon trillions of bacteria of different species known as the microbiome.  These microbes play a role not only in intestinal health, but also, it has been recently discovered, in psychiatric health, including our risk of developing depression.  Liston’s own research studies have significantly moved this new branch of science forward. 

Findlay Galleries,  represented by CEO James R. Borynack and COO Adolfo Zaralegui, accepted the 2021 Hope Corporate Visionary Award, established by HDRF to honor corporations that demonstrate exceptional creativity, advocacy, and vision to promote the mental health of our communities. Findlay Galleries is one of the nation’s oldest art galleries, with branches in New York and Palm Beach, and they are a longtime supporter of HDRF and other mental health non-profits.  Borynack stated, “The Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s outstanding work and extraordinary accomplishments, year in and year out, keep us focused on our community support.”

Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay accepted the Community Ambassador of Hope Award.  Irsay and the Colts Community created the “Kicking the Stigma” campaign to make it safe to talk about mental illness, and to expand mental health treatment services throughout their Indianapolis community. Irsay stated, “When life doesn’t make sense anymore and you don’t have hope and you don’t want to live, it’s a tough place to be.” He continued, “It’s an illness, and it’s been stigmatized, and that’s the reason we started “Kicking the Stigma.” People who are sick are afraid to speak up, and they don’t want to seek help.”

Audrey Gruss then presented Michael Phelps with the HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy. 

“And now it’s time for the GOAT,” she said, using the acronym for Greatest of All Time. “While no man could touch him in the water, outside of the pool he relentlessly battled with the demons of depression and anxiety. He has used his fame as a platform to be open about his experience with depression and to spread hope and understanding.”

Phelps took the stage to speak in a Q&A with Gruss about his struggles with depression.

When asked about his first moment of depression, Phelps stated, “In 2004 I won eight total medals, six gold and two bronze, and coming back from that is when I first noticed a depression spell.”

He continued: “2014 — that was where I found myself not wanting to be alive.” He went on to speak about entering into a treatment center after hitting rock bottom and feeling it was one of the scariest places he has ever been.  He noted that ultimately those 45-days helped him to better understand himself and continuing in therapy is why he was able to stand on the stage today.

Gruss then asked about other athletes such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka coming forward about their own experience with depression. Phelps stated, “What Naomi Osaka did on her own platform, in her own words and telling her own story… wow. We can all learn some things from her.” He continued, “All of these athletes and celebrities, these human beings that have stepped up and shared their experience about mental health have been able to save lives.”

When speaking about The Michael Phelps Foundation IM program he stated, “I want to give every kid the chance to accomplish their goals or their dreams, no matter how easy or hard it is to get there. It wasn’t easy getting to where I was and it sure wasn’t easy getting back in 2016 with the journey, but it was a dream nobody else was going to stand in front of.” The audience burst into laughter when Phelps noted, “I had people doubting me my whole life. I had a teacher in sixth grade telling me I would never amount to anything… thanks.”

The Q&A concluded with Phelps responding to a question about his work with Talkspace and helping people receive talk therapy. He noted, “I can make the joke now that I learned to communicate at the age of 30, but at least I got there. I am just trying to spread that message, as it’s something so simple, but something so helpful just to be able to open up and share.”

Each year, the HOPE Luncheon Seminar is held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and is attended by over 300 top New York philanthropists, asset managers, business and media professionals, socialites and celebrities who gather to raise awareness about depression and its related mood disorders as well as funds for continued research.

The Luncheon Seminar Co-chairs were: Sharon Bush, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Susan Gutfreund, Maru Hagerty, Kim Heirston, Tania Higgins, Eleanora Kennedy, Susan R. McCaw, Kitty and Bill McKnight, Peter S. Paine III, Liz Peek, Nancy Silverman, Barbara and Randall Smith, Scott Snyder and Felicia Taylor.

Additional guests included: James Aman, Krista Bard, Janna Bullock, Joanna Goldenstein, Martin Gruss, Christine Mack, John Meeks, Margo Nederlander, John Paulson, Marc Rosen, Dr. Steven Roose, Hilary Geary Ross, Lis Waterman, Veronica Webb and Lynne Wheat.

Doctorate Sponsors

Jamee and Peter Gregory and Eric Javits Inc.

Founder Sponsors

 Paulson Family Foundation and Nancy Silverman.

Benefactor Sponsors

 EGL Charitable Foundation, FINDLAY Galleries/James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui, and The Richard and Karen LeFrak Charitable Foundation.

Anniversary Sponsors

 Judy and Leonard Lauder, Abraham Fuchsberg Family Foundation, Susan R. McCaw, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman, Felicia Taylor, Lynne Wheat and Vera Serrano.

Corporate Patron Sponsors

The Estée Lauder Companies, HUB International Northeast, Fishers Finery, Indianapolis Colts, Otsuka and Talkspace.

Patron Donors

Nancy and Edmund M. Dunst / HUB International Northeast, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Fishers Finery, Mrs. John Gutfreund, Kim Heirston, Tania Higgins, Indianapolis Colts, Eleanora Kennedy, Kitty and Bill McKnight, Otsuka, Peter S. Paine III, Liz Peek, Thomas C. Quick, Katharine Rayner, Barbara and Randall Smith and Talkspace Inc.

Friend Donors

Bloomberg Philanthropies, Laura Louise Breyer, Sharon Bush, Jennifer and David Fischer, Frances Fisher, Mary Ann Fribourg, Lundbeck LLC, David B. Lynch Foundation, Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Anne and Jay McInerney, Heidi McWilliams, Mary P. Moran, Kathy Prounis, Roberts & Holland LLP and Scott Snyder.

Gold Level Donors 

Acquavella Family Foundation, Catherine Adler, Meredith Aman, Shelley Bergman, Kimberly Bitterman, CeCe Black, Jill Blanchard, Janna Bullock, Mrs. Mirella Cameran-Reilly, Myron Cohen / Federman Steifman LLP, Caroline Coleman, Pilar Crespi Robert, Gus N. Davis, Marjorie S. Federbush, Firmenich, Hope Fitzgerald, Joanna Goldenstein, Mai Hallingby Harrison, Carolyn Ryan Healey, Linda Hickox, Karen Klopp, Stephanie Krieger, Margo Langenberg, Kamie Lightburn, Carol Mack, Christine Mack, Annie MacRae, Kristina Grimm McCooey, Grace Meigher, Muffy and Donald Miller, Marcia and Richard Mishaan, John A. Moran, Margo and James Nederlander, Anne Nordeman, Jane and Richard Novick, Pamela Pantzer, Marina Pellecchi, Darcy Rigas, Marc Rosen, Hilary Geary Ross, Julia Ryan, Nicole Salmasi, Frances G. Scaife, Chuck Scarborough, Jane Scheinfeld, Joan Schnitzer, Jean Shafiroff, Catherine and Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, Ginny and David Sydorick, Amanda Taylor, Barbara Tober, Lis Waterman, Douglas Wright, Clelia Zacharias, Richard Ziegelasch, David Zislin and Silvia Zoullas.

Gift Bag Sponsors

Diane Conn, Eric Javits Inc., Essence of Vali, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Exhale Spa, Fishers Finery, Garde Robe, Hope Fragrance and Scott’s Protein Balls.

About Hope For Depression Research Foundation

HDRF’s mission is to fund the most innovative neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.

In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force – an outstanding collaboration of ten of the world’s leading laboratories, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more information, visit: www.hopefordepression.org

The post Honoring Michael Phelps & Jim Irsay at 15th Annual HOPE Luncheon Seminar While Enlightening About Gut Health appeared first on NY UNDRESSED.

Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) hosted a socially- distanced Drive-By Lunch on February 4^th at the Royal Poinciana Plaza to kick off the (virtual) Third Annual Palm Beach Race of Hope, which will take place on February 27^th, 2021.  The West Courtyard of the Plaza was transformed into a yellow wonderland, recreating the charity’s signature Palm Beach Race that has been its marquee winter event since 2019.  Sunshine yellow is the signature color of the foundation, and it gave an uplifting and happy vibe to the day.   A sea of HDRF’s signature HOPE yellow balloons (recyclable and environmentally friendly) paved the way to the giant truss marking the starting line.

Adhering to the CDC guidelines, Audrey Gruss, founder and chair of HDRF, her Co-Grand Marshal Scott Snyder and Louisa Benton, Executive Director of HDRF, waved and welcomed Race of Hope committee members and sponsors as they drove through the starting line.  Each guest was then handed a delicious to-go picnic basket for two provided by Sant Ambroeus that contained a salad of tri-colored lettuce with avocado, cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm and mozzarella; focaccia panini with turkey, tomato and mozzarella; and bags of assorted biscotti.

In addition, guests received a tin of Black River Caviar Russian Oscietra, and a Frances Valentine tote bag laden with gifts.

Among the Race of Hope committee members who attended were Hilary Geary Ross, Melanie and Pauline Pitt, Felicia Taylor, Denis Coleman, Eleanora Kennedy, Lynne Wheat, Sharon Bush and Bob Murray, Tom Quick, Roger Lawson, Ellen Wilner and Clelia and Tom Zacharias. 

Corporate Sponsors also attended including Inez Fulgo Heery of Betteridge Jewelers; Hank Siegel of Hamilton Jewelers; Adam Sheffer of Pace Gallery; Susan Taylor of Impala Asset Management; Robert Riva of Sunreef Yachts and Chris Leavitt and Alison Newton of LA CLARA Luxury Residences.

“We are so grateful for the support of our Palm Beach Race of Hope Committee and Sponsors,” said Audrey Gruss.  “The need for mental health research is more important than ever due to the strain of the Covid-19 crisis on the nation’s mental health, and our Palm Beach supporters are really stepping up to meet the moment.” 

ABOUT THE VIRTUAL RACE OF HOPE – A Live Event on Saturday, February 27, 2021

Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s Winter 2021 5K Race of Hope is the same race that has been the charity’s signature winter event in Palm Beach since 2019. The only difference is that the Virtual Race allows participants to share the excitement of the starting line from a safe distance!

Here is how it works:

• Participants can view a special live Race broadcast hosted by Co-Grand Marshals Audrey Gruss and Scott Snyder on Saturday, February 27^th at 8 am ET.  Tune in on www.hopefordepression.org.
• Gruss and Snyder will welcome viewers, show messages of hope from participants across the nation, and then blow the starting gun at 8:30 am ET on the dot!
• Participants choose their own trail and receive special Race gear in the mail.  They can walk or run the distance as soon as they hear the starting gun, from wherever they are watching.

OR

• Participants can run or walk their chosen trail at any time they prefer!  Then, they can submit a photo or selfie video that could be selected to air on the Feb 27 broadcast!  Send selfies to https://www.raceofhopeseries.com/contest.

Participants also have the option to extend their race distance to 10k (6.2 miles), 15k (9.3 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), or marathon (26.2 miles). 

Share Hope Video Contest

As a part of the Virtual Race of Hope, HDRF will hold a contest for the best Race selfie photo or video. Participants are encouraged to take a selfie featuring:

1. who they are running/walking for
2. what motivated them to join the race,
3. or just a fun photo of them running or training.

Those interested in entering should post on social media with a photo, video (15sec. max), or boomerang featuring the Race of Hope by February 13, and enter to win on the contest entry page: https://www.raceofhopeseries.com/contest. Up to 50 lucky winners will have their message of hope featured on HDRF’s social media pages leading up to and/or during the live broadcast on race day and will get a Hope for Depression Research Foundation canvas tote.

The cost to register for the Race of Hope is $40. The first 1,000 to sign up will receive a vest, runner’s bib, face mask and a four-inch 2021 Race of Hope medal. 100% of the funds raised will go directly to research that will transform the way depression is viewed, diagnosed, treated, and prevented. For more information or to register, visit: https://www.raceofhopeseries.com/.

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The day culminated with multi Grammy Award Winning, singer songwriter LeAnn Rimes, who made the room of 350 attendees tear up as she shared her story about finally entering treatment for depression and anxiety.

“A day after my 30^th birthday I checked myself in to treatment,” said Ms. Rimes, recipient of the 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy.  “Honestly, it was the best birthday gift I could have ever given myself because I don’t know if I would have made it to the next one.”

Master of Ceremonies Chuck Scarborough began the event with a review of the year’s headlines in mental health, including the fact that depression and suicide are on the rise, especially in teens.  He shared the shocking statistics that depression is the leading cause of disability and suicide worldwide and pointed to the urgency of HDRF’s brain research into the prevention and treatment of depression.

The keynote speaker, U Penn’s Chair of Psychiatry Dr. Maria Oquendo, gave an illuminating medical overview of depression and anxiety, two complex conditions that are misunderstood but widespread.  Depression affects 18 million people in the U.S. annually, and anxiety affects over 40 million U.S. adults annually; many people experience both conditions at the same time.   Dr. Oquendo said that disrupted circuits in the brain underlie depressive symptoms like slow motor movements, rumination and anxious thoughts, and the inability to feel pleasure.  Doctors can view those disrupted circuits with advanced brain imaging tools, she said, and this brings better accuracy to diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Eric Nestler, Director of the Friedman Institute at Mount Sinai, then gave an update of the research progress of HDRF’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, of which he is Chair.  Ten of the world’s most powerful labs have joined forces to accelerate life-saving discovery, and this fall they will start a clinical trial on a potential new antidepressant compound that shows promise for treatment-resistant depression.

HDRF Founder & Chair Audrey Gruss applauded the advances in research, and then discussed how public awareness of depression is breaking new barriers. She saluted TV shows like Modern Love and publications like People Magazine for bringing depression into the open and making it safe to talk about mental health.  This month People launched a year-long series that will highlight stories of celebrities and ordinary people who have experienced depression; many of those profiled have survived suicide.

Gruss also shared the inspiration behind HDRF, stating that the foundation was started more than 13 years ago in honor of her mother, Hope, who struggled with depression. She also announced a new Hope Fragrance line, which will launch at Bergdorf Goodman on February 3, 2020.  The line consists of the original Hope fragrance as well as two new scents:  Hope Sport and Hope Night.  One hundred percent of net proceeds of sales will go to HDRF’s depression research.

Gruss then introduced the real woman behind the Anne Hathaway character in the Modern Love series on Amazon:  Terri Cheney.   Cheney is an author, attorney, and mental health advocate who has written poignantly about navigating career and dating with bipolar disorder.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think that being spectacularly bi-polar would one day bring me to a podium at The Plaza” said Cheney to warm laughter in the audience.  Cheney is the author of Manic: A Memoir and her second book, Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Manual to Modern Madness, is due out next year.

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton gave the crowd a recap of HDRF’s work during the year to raise mental health awareness and educate the public about the facts of depression.  The Foundation’s Race of Hope is a 5K Walk/Run that launched in Palm Beach in January, where it raised $300,000; The Race of Hope also marked its fourth year in Southampton in August, with 750 participants and raising over a quarter of a million for research.

Benton also announced HDRF’s newest public awareness program, Next Generation Mental Health, which puts science into action by bringing students, teachers and parents to talk with neuroscientists about healthy brain development.  In 2019, the program focused on the public health issue of bullying and its impact on the brain.  Statistics show that children who have been bullied have a greater risk of developing depression later in life.

To wrap up the day, Audrey Gruss presented the HOPE Corporate Visionary Award to Dr. Husseni Manji and Janssen Research & Development for their longstanding commitment to research into complex mood disorders like depression.  In March 2019, the FDA approved Spravato, a new treatment for severe suicidal depression that was decades in the making. Janssen Pharmaceuticals championed Spravato and invested many millions to bring it to market under the leadership of Dr. Manji, Global Therapeutic Head for Neuroscience at Janssen Research & Development, LLC.

In the day’s finale, Audrey Gruss presented the HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy to LeAnn Rimes, who delivered a speech that brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.

“Her resounding message is that depression and anxiety are serious health issues that require and deserve professional attention,” said Gruss.  “She spoke up, because she knew to hide would only perpetuate stigma, and make it harder for people to ask for the help they need.”

Ms. Rimes took to the stage and spoke straight from the heart about her journey through anxiety and depression.  She touched on traumatic events in her childhood with parents who divorced bitterly when she was 14.  She spoke about a lawsuit with her father that lasted throughout her teens until she was 19.   She spoke about the severe public backlash that occurred when she started her relationship with Eddie Cibrian her husband of now nine years.  At the time both she and Eddie were married to other people.  These stressful life events, compounded by being in the public eye, took a toll on her both physically and mentally.

“I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t get out of bed, which made no sense to me,” she said, at times fighting back tears.  “I was having debilitating panic attacks where I could not breathe and honestly, I think I’ve been holding my breath my entire life.”

The Luncheon Seminar Co-Chairs were Ann Barish, Natalie du Pont Edmonds, Peter Gregory, Tania Higgins, Margo Langenberg, Marigay McKee, Kitty McKnight, Serena McKnight Bowman, Peter S. Paine III, Vera Serrano, Nancy Silverman, Scott Snyder and Felicia Taylor.

 Additional guests included: Marigay McKee, Jamee Gregory, Geoffrey Bradfield, Janna Bullock, Susan Fales Hill, Sharon Loeb, Susan Gutfreund, Karen LeFrak, Ken Sunshine, Jean Shafiroff, Jay McInerney, Christine Mack, Marina Pellechi, Lis Waterman, Frederick Andersen, Kim Heirston, Kristen Krusen, Hilary Geary Ross, Dayssi Kanavos, Ellen Scarborough, Felicia Taylor, Susan Lloyd, Carol DeLouvrier

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION

HDRF’s mission is to fund the most innovative neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.

In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force – an outstanding collaboration of ten of the world’s leading laboratories, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more information, visit: www.hopefordepression.org

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Mr. Namath was there to share personal insights about brain injury and the work he is doing with his namesake foundation. Guests gathered for cocktails in the restaurant garden which was adorned with banners in HDRF’s signature yellow color and featured yellow roses filling the ornate fountains.

Inside for dinner, guests sat at tables featuring stunning centerpieces made from spheres of yellow roses evocative of the Foundation’s logo. Dinner featured an appetizer of colossal lump crabmeat with cocktail and mustard sauce followed by veal scaloppini marsala with sautéed spinach and whipped potatoes.  The dessert was chocolate soufflé with chantilly cream, chocolate sauce and raspberries.

After the first course, Audrey Gruss introduced Mr. Namath as the 20^th century football icon and Super Bowl champion, and spoke about how closely their goals align in examining and understanding mind-brain health.   Mr. Namath inspired the audience with the story of his own recovery from brain injury as a result of multiple concussions, and fielded several questions from excited guests after his remarks.

Following dinner, Mrs. Gruss delivered heartfelt remarks referencing how HDRF was created to accelerate advanced depression research. She then introduced Louisa Benton, HDRF Executive Director, who gave a brief update on the Foundation’s exciting research progress through the collaborative research of the Depression Task Force of world leading scientists.  Three specific new compounds are in clinical trials, Ms. Benton reported, that represent potential new categories of anti-depressants. Ms. Benton then played a brief trailer of a documentary now being made about subject of depression, using the collaborative work of the Depression Task Force as a focus.

Guests included: Gigi and Harry Benson, Jane and George Bunn, Luce Churchill, Mary and Mark Freitas, Candy Hamm, Kate and Hashem Khosrovani, Amb. Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Frances and Jeff Fisher, Muffy and Donald Miller, Susan and Joe Meyer, Lynn Foster and Robert Nederlander, Lucy Musso, Thomas Quick, Gretchen and Howard Leach.

The Palm Beach Chairman’s Council includes Ann and Keith Barish, James Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui, Camilla and Stephen Brauer, Janet & J.J. Cafaro, Pamela Cohen and Nick Korniloff, Annabelle and Denis Coleman Jr., Mary and Marvin Davidson, Diana and Llywd Ecclestone, William Finneran, Myrna Haft, Eleanora Kennedy, Michele and Howard Kessler, Anna Mann, Carole and John Moran, Jana and John Scarpa, Vera and Julio Serrano, Barbara and Randall Smith, Evelyn and William Speck, Lynne Wheat and Thomas Peterffy.

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Hope for Depression Research Foundation was founded by Audrey Gruss in 2006 to spur cutting-edge neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and its related mood and emotional disorders including: bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and suicide. In addition, HDRF aims to raise awareness of depression as a medical illness and to educate the public about the facts of depression. We educate and inform in order to help remove the stigma that still surrounds depression.

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HDRF Founder & Chair Audrey Gruss saluted Anderson Cooper for his public discussion of his family’s personal story of depression and suicide.  His use of multi-media to speak out about his own family’s experience helps reduce stigma and sparks millions of life-saving conversations.

Focused on the topic “The Search for New Depression Treatments,” the sold-out event featured Dr. John Krystal, Yale’s Chief of Psychiatry, who spoke about the crisis in depression research.  Dr. Helen Mayberg of Emory University explained her pioneering work in Deep Brain Stimulation and the latest discoveries of HDRF’s elite team of researchers collaborating as the Depression Task Force.

Chuck Scarborough was Master of Ceremonies and guests, including Jay McInerney, Karen LeFrak, Susan Gutfreund, and HRH Princess Katherine of Serbia, listened as he noted that depression has become the Number One Reason in the world for disability.  He also noted the rise of depression awareness in the media, with a growing movement of celebrities — Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Kristen Bell, Naomi Judd and the rapper Kid Cudi — speaking out against stigma and sharing their personal experience with the illness.

HDRF Executive Director Louisa Benton spoke about the strong presence of HDRF in the media through the new technology of a satellite media tour conducted by Audrey Gruss in 30 U.S. cities.  She also shared the powerful TV advertisement created by McCann Humancare. Benton briefly described the success of the first Walk of Hope this past July in Southampton.  She then introduced 11-year-old Shane Boylan, who raised $4,000 with a bike ride he organized in memory of his father, who died by suicide.

Audrey Gruss then introduced “journalist, author, thinker and humanitarian,” Anderson Cooper, who accepted the HOPE Award with a heartfelt speech that explained how he managed his emotions after his brother committed suicide in 1988.  He became a war reporter and traveled the world telling other people’s stories before he began to heal by telling his own story.  He said there were moments in the “dwindling light of day when you expected to find darkness and [instead] you find light and humanity.” He concluded with saying, “Each of us will get by the best that we can [but] we must reach out and tentatively touch with our hands, with our eyes, and with our hearts.”

The Luncheon Seminar Co-Chairs are: Caroline Dean, Arthur Dunnam, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Peter Gregory, Susan Gutfreund, Tania Higgins, Eleanora Kennedy, Margo Langenberg, Jay McInerney, and Farah Moinan.

Additional guests included: Janna Bullock, Sharon Bush, Caroline Dean, William Flaherty, Jamee Gregory, Martin Gruss, Mai Hallingby Harrison, Kim Heirston, Yaz Hernandez, Ritchey Howe, Eleanora Kennedy, Margo Langenberg, Kamie Lightburn, Sharon Loeb, Christine Mack, Lorrie & Mark Newhouse, Tom Quick, Patti Raynes, Nancy Silverman,  Scott Snyder and Robert Zimmerman .

ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION

HDRF’s mission is to fund the most innovative neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.   Founding Chair Audrey Gruss launched HDRF in 2006 in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with depression for decades.

In 2010, HDRF created its Depression Task Force (DTF) – an outstanding collaboration of eight leading scientists, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. These scientists have developed an unprecedented research strategy that integrates the most advanced knowledge in genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real time, at the HDRF Data Center. For more information, visit:www.hopefordepression.org

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