ACLD Foundation Raises Over $340,000 at The 2022 Enviable Life Ball

The ballroom at the Garden City Hotel was filled with music, laughter and memories shared as supporters gathered for ACLD Foundation's annual Enviable Life Ball, which raised over $340,000 for the exclusive benefit of Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD). ACLD's mission is to provide opportunities for children and adults with autism, learning and developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives, promote independence and foster supportive relationships within the community.

Governor Kathy Hochul was honored this year with the Humanitarian Award, presented to an individual who has advocated for the people we support and their families. Governor Hochul has been instrumental in signing important legislation that protects the rights of people with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities. Though Governor Hochul could not attend, Kerri Neifeld, Commissioner for the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), accepted the award on her behalf. Neifeld spoke highly of Hochul’s work in her first year as Governor of New York, highlighting accomplishments such as the appointing of New York’s first Chief Disability Officer, Kim Hill, and the additional $500 Million Hochul invested in the OPWDD budget to allow an increase in the access to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities state wide. “In the first year that she’s been in office, Governor Hochul has done more for the developmentally disabled community then we’ve seen done in over a decade,” said Neifeld.

NYS Senator John W. Mannion of Syracuse, NY, was presented with the Advocacy in Action Award for his work as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Developmental Disabilities. Mannion accepted his award via video, highlighting the vital work of our staff.

This year's festivities were especially poignant as ACLD celebrates its 65th Anniversary. The ACLD Foundation honored the staff of ACLD with the Leadership Award for their dedication, commitment and unwavering service to the people ACLD supports. Twenty members of ACLD’s staff were selected from each program and department to represent the organization. "The last two years, we all know, have been among the hardest in most of our lifetimes," said ACLD President/CEO Rob Ciatto. "Our faith, resolve and resiliency were tested time and time again, but despite the pressures, our staff rose to the occasion." Ciatto then presented 20 members of ACLD staff with the Leadership Award, calling them "the backbone of this agency."

Jamie Engel, the new President of the ACLD Foundation, shared his first-hand experience with the vital work ACLD does. Engel comes from a family with a long-standing relationship with ACLD, with his father, the late Arthur Engel, serving as President of the Board of Directors in the 1970s, and his mother, Rita, who remains active with ACLD to this day. "Through the decades, ACLD has remained a constant in my life; When you live and grow up in a home with developmentally disabled family, you can feel isolated. ACLD created a sense of community with other families who had shared experiences. I am forever grateful to the life ACLD has helped create for my family, but especially for my brothers Marc and Stuart," said Engel.

Abby Levinson, a long-time resident at ACLD took the podium during the program to share her experience with ACLD over the last 30 years. “The thing that makes ACLD so special is the staff,” said Levinson. “Whether it's Joann driving me to and from day program or Gloria going food shopping with me, I know there is always someone there to help me if I need it. If I could say one thing to the staff of ACLD, it would be thank you. Thank you for being our friends, caring for us and being like our family.”

Joseph Ortego, Esq., Chair of the ACLD Board of Directors presented a special recognition award to Alan Spiegel, former President of the ACLD Foundation. Spiegel served as President of the board from its inception in 2016 until this year. “[Spiegel] has been an integral part of the ACLD family for four decades, and when we needed someone to lead our newly formed ACLD Foundation, [he] stepped up without hesitation,” said Ortego. “He has led the foundation with purpose, intent, integrity and above all – heart. He has created a beautiful legacy alongside his wife Ellen and we are honored to recognize his six years of service to the ACLD Foundation.”

Emmy® Award-winning reporter News 4 NY’s Pei-Sze Cheng served as emcee for the evening. Major sponsors for the Enviable Life Ball included Diamond Sponsors Carol Lever & Roy Grover, NBCUniversal, Sameer, Usha & Shashi Patel and Plum, Reshma & Christian Rudder, Pilot|RB; Amethyst Sponsor Irwin Siegel Agency; Platinum Sponsors Alan & Ellen Spiegel, PharMerica ChemRx Pharmacy Services, LLC DBA; Sapphire Sponsors Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Doris Shaw, Lisa & Lon Goldstein and Family, EmblemHealth, Enterprise Fleet Management, Sheila Hochberg, Jovia Financial Credit Union, Medisked, LLC., Moritt, Hock & Hamroff, LLP., The Bristal, Valley Bank; Entertainment Sponsor Solutions 4 Community Health; Centerpieces Sponsor Fusion Architecture, PLLC.; Auction Sponsor Alan & Ellen Spiegel; Photography Sponsor the Breuninger Family.

About Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD):
Founded in 1957, ACLD is a 501(c)(3), a not-for-profit agency whose mission is to provide opportunities to more than 1,300 children and adults with autism, learning, and developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives, promote independence and foster supportive relationships within the community. ACLD employs more than 1,200 people and operates more than 100 different program sites including community residences and apartment programs across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Services include early childhood services, day habilitation, residential alternatives, vocational training and job placement, respite, family support services, and occupational speech and physical therapies. For more information, visit www.acld.org.