Ridgefield Resident Dick Cavett to be Honored at Hospital Gala

From Silver Hill Hospital: On Monday, November 12, Silver Hill Hospital will hold its ninth annual fall benefit, the Giving Hope Gala, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, honoring Emmy Award-winning talk show host Dick Cavett with the 2018 Visionary Award. The award honors an individual who, through personal contribution and action, has inspired others and helped remove the stigma of mental illness or addiction. In addition, professional golfer,

author and mental health activist Michael Wellington will be the evening’s guest speaker.

Award-winning comedienne Mina Hartong, a Ladies of Laughter National Contest Finalist, will serve as emcee and auctioneer. The evening includes dinner, dancing and a live auction.

“It’s a genuine privilege for me to be part of this effort, dedicated to bringing much-needed attention to the importance of battling the curse of mental illness,” said Cavett. “Knowing there are supportive environments for recovery and healing offers vitally needed hope -- and help --for so many who are in pain.”

Cavett, a three-time Emmy winner and author, hosted late night talk shows on ABC, PBS, USA and CNBC over several decades. A legendary host, Cavett became known for his provocative interviews and lively debates. He has openly discussed his bouts of clinical depression, an illness that first affected him during his freshman year at Yale University. He was the subject of a 1993video produced by the Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association called A Patient’s Perspective. In 1980, he experienced what he characterized as his “biggest depressive episode,” and later underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Following his therapy, Cavett became a strong advocate for ECT, calling it “a magic wand” in his treatment for depression.

Wellington is the founder and chairman of birdies4bipolar.org, an organization that helps raise awareness and funding for mental health. The professional golfer is also the author of Birdies, Bogeys, and Bipolar Disorder.

The live auction features a work of art entitled Taking Flight, a watercolor and collage piece on silver Japanese Shikishi board, which is the inspiration for the event’s invitation design and décor for the evening. Created by artist Beverly Miller Orthwein, it is a depiction of birds in three different stages, transitioning from the depth of a tree to soaring into the sun, and is Orthwein’s interpretation of the pathway to restoring mental health at Silver Hill.

The Giving Hope Gala is a fundraiser for the Patient Financial Aid Fund, serving individuals who would benefit from Silver Hill’s long-term residential treatment programs but are without adequate resources to cover the costs.

“Silver Hill’s mission is to provide its patients with the best available treatment of mental illness and addiction. They transform lives, and literally, sometimes they save them,” said Robert Minicucci, this year’s Giving Hope Gala Chair. “I have two family members who have benefited from treatment at Silver Hill; I know what a difference this can make in the lives of patients and their families.”

The Honorary Committee includes David Blaine, DJ Cassidy, Ron Delsener, Sadri Garakani, Tommy Hilfiger, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Cyndi Lauper, Jay McInerney, James Nederlander, Susan Sarandon, Steven Tyler, and James D. Watson, PhD. The Benefit Committee includes Robert Altschuler, Nora Bailey Bass, Amir Garakani, MD, Matthew Griepp, MD, Hendrik J. Hartong, Jr.,Janine Haynes, Kirk Henckels and Fernanda Kellogg, Todd Hollander, Jillian Keyes, LCSW, Lance Lundberg, Ashleigh Miller, Beverly and Peter Orthwein, Jim and Susie Perakis, Elizabeth Platt, Jonny Podell, John Santopietro, MD, Deborah Shabecoff, David Stifelman, Lynne Wheat, Cheryl Wiesenfeld and Jerry Rosenberg.

Silver Hill Hospital’s first Gala took place in 2010 to highlight the excellent treatment the hospital provides.

For more information or to make a reservation, please contact the Development Office at (203) 801-2398 or gala@silverhillhospital.org.

About Silver Hill Hospital

In 1931 renowned psychiatrist Dr. John Millett was searching for a setting close to New York to open a small residential mental health clinic. A picturesque farmhouse on a pastoral site in New Canaan, Connecticut proved irresistible for what he envisioned. In just a few short years, Silver Hill achieved national recognition as a top-tier psychiatric hospital, revered for expert and compassionate treatment for patients struggling with mental illness or addiction.

A steadfast adherence to mission – “to provide the best treatment for mental illness and addiction; and to offer continuing support, counseling and education to patients and families in every phase of illness and recovery” – has shaped the hospital’s growth over time. Today, Silver Hill, a not-forprofit hospital, provides comprehensive inpatient, residential and outpatient programs for adolescents and adults covering the full spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses. Our intensive treatment regimens are solely focused on getting patients better, inspiring hope, and helping them transition home to family and community. We pride ourselves on a very experienced, talented and dedicated clinical staff that includes fourteen full-time psychiatrists with advanced sub-specialty training working with an expansive team of psychiatric nurses, social workers and counselors.

Photo courtesy of Silver Hill Hospital