ACLD Announces Over $269K Raised From Annual Enviable Life Ball Benefiting Adults & Kids with Developmental Disabilities

GARDEN CITY, NY; February 28, 2017 – Since hosting its annual Enviable Life Ball in November 2016, Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) is pleased to announce that the event raised over $269,000 for the non-profit agency devoted to providing opportunities for children and adults with autism, learning and other developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives, increase independence and foster supportive relationships within the community.

During the event, held at The Garden City Hotel in Garden City, NY, R. Mark Wilkins, Senior Managing Partner of Aveniras, LLC, and New York State Senator Phil Boyle (R – 4th Senate District) were honored by ACLD for their support and contributions made to the organization.

Wilkins received ACLD’s Corporate Leadership Award for his efforts to create jobs for people with special needs. He worked closely with ACLD to launch RewearABLE, a green program that collects unwanted clothing and provides sustainable employment for adults with developmental disabilities. Previously, he was instrumental in the creation of eWorks, which began providing jobs for those with special needs on Long Island in 2009 and has grown to take on a national scope.

“Mark is a true friend of ACLD who really has joined us in making a difference for the people who turn to us for support,” said Alan Spiegel, president of the ACLD Foundation. “He has created more than 300 jobs for people with developmental disabilities, making him a true champion in the mission to provide sustainable employment for people with special needs.”

Senator Boyle received ACLD’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of his efforts not just to help ACLD, but also to make Long Island a better place. For ACLD specifically, he has been an unwavering supporter of all its programs, most notably its Children’s Services. This past year he toured the Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center in Bay Shore to get an update on Center programs, and he joined ACLD at Heckscher State Park to help kick off the first annual Walk/Run: Journey to an Enviable Life.

“Senator Boyle is an advocate who shares our belief in the importance of helping people with autism, learning and other developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives,” Spiegel said, “and we are grateful he is a part of our lives.”

NBC4 New York Traffic Reporter Lauren Scala served as emcee, and guests were entertained with live music performed by Skyline Orchestra’s Code Bleu. The Bethpage High School Jazz Combo performed prior to the dinner portion of the evening. In all, more than 300 people attended ACLD’s largest event of the year.

Major sponsors for ACLD’s Enviable Life Ball included Diamond Sponsors NBCUniversal and

Pilot RB; Emerald Sponsor Carol Lever and Roy Grover; Amethyst Sponsor R. Mark Wilkins, Aveniras, LLC; Platinum Sponsor Alan and Ellen Spiegel; and Sapphire Sponsors BioReference Laboratories, Inc.; Brian Levine of Goldman Sachs; Irwin Siegel Agency, Inc.; Moritt Hock & Hamroff, LLP; the Patel and Rudder Family together with Plum; Susan Sha, CPA, CGMA; TD Bank; and Valley National Bank.

Founded in 1957, Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD) is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2017, the organization continues to provide opportunities for children and adults with autism, learning and other developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives, increase independence and foster supportive relationships within the community. ACLD employs more than 1,100 people and operates 80 different program sites including group homes and apartment programs across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Service program include early childhood services, day habilitation, residential alternatives, vocational training and job placement, recreation programs, respite, family support services, Medicaid service coordination, and medical and behavioral health services.

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PHOTO CAPTIONS:

• PHOTO 1: Pictured from left to right at the Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) Enviable Life Ball are ACLD Executive Director Robert C. Goldsmith, ACLD Foundation Board President Alan Spiegel, Humanitarian Award Recipient Senator Phil Boyle, Corporate Leadership Award Recipient R. Mark Wilkins, Aveniras, LLC, and ACLD Board President Joseph Ortego, Esq.

• PHOTO 2: Pictured from left to right at the Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) Enviable Life Ball are Carol Lever and Roy Grover, who served as the Emerald Sponsor of the event.
• PHOTO 3: Pictured from left to right at the Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) Enviable Life Ball are ACLD Board member Don Mitzner and his wife, Gail, enjoying the event’s festivities.
• PHOTO 4: Pictured from left to right at the Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) Enviable Life Ball are Lauren Scala, Traffic Reporter for NBC4 New York, who once again served as the Enviable Life Ball emcee, with ACLD Foundation Board Member Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Sales and Client Partnerships for NBCUniversal.
• PHOTO 5: Pictured from left to right at the Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) Enviable Life Ball are Scott Fein of BioReference Laboratories, Inc., a Sapphire Sponsor and Corporate Leadership honoree, with ACLD Executive Director Robert C. Goldsmith.

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