Phoenix House Benefit Honoring Haley and Jason Binn
East Hampton, Saturday, June 27, 2009, 6-8 PM
NEW YORK , NY , June 16, 2009 –“Addiction runs its devastating course through every community – including the Hamptons,” says Howard Meitiner, President and CEO of Phoenix House, one of the nation’s largest non-profit alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention programs. “But in all the discussion of East Hampton and its environs, people rarely see the other side of the story.”
“Ninety percent of the people we treat out here are the working poor – those who cannot afford to pay for long-term treatment but who earn just too much to qualify for Medicaid. It is these individuals and families who are stuck in the middle, and who desperately need our programs. So it is critical that we reach out to local philanthropists and members of the community who can help fund these programs, especially given the stark reality of this economic downturn.”
As a key part of this outreach, on June 27th Phoenix House will host a benefit in East Hampton, a community with surprisingly high statistics of alcohol and drug abuse, especially among young people. In Suffolk County, nearly 12% of the population that is 12 years old and older is chemically dependent, and the addiction rate for adolescents 12-17 is very close to that of adults (10% for teens vs. 12% for adults). Only 25% of addicted teens in the community are receiving treatment.
The Phoenix House event will honor Haley and Jason Binn, leaders in public service and philanthropy in New York City and the Hamptons. Mr. Binn is the Founder and CEO of Niche Media, publisher of such titles as Gotham, Hamptons, Los Angeles Confidential, and Ocean Drive.
The benefit will raise money for two key Phoenix House programs serving the Hamptons community: an outpatient center that offers group, individual, and family therapy; and the Phoenix Academy of Long Island in Wainscott, which provides residential treatment to teens along with educational and vocational services.
“Alcohol and drug abuse is on the rise during this economic crisis, and we can’t afford as a society or as individuals to let people who need help get lost in the spiral of addiction,” says Mr. Meitiner. “We are hoping that people will recognize the deep need for sustaining treatment programs such as Phoenix House, and that this is an investment that will pay off in countless lives and families saved.”
Phoenix House founder, Dr. Mitchell S. Rosenthal, and numerous Phoenix House board members including George Kellner, Rose Marie Bravo and Richard Plepler will be supporting this event.
Event chairpersons are Linda & Jeffrey Chodorow, Cristina Cuomo, Chris DeWolfe, Peter Ezersky, Liz Lange, Diane & Alan Lieberman, Tatiana & Campion Platt, and Lauran & Charlie Walk.
Members of the Benefit Committee include Chris Burch, Rocco DiSpirito, Simon Doonan & Jonathan Adler, Peter Duchin, Anne Hearst & Jay McInerney, Dylan Lauren, Allison & Howard Lutnick, Patrick McMullan, Sage & Tony Robbins, and Brooke Shields & Chris Henchy.
For more information, to speak with Howard Meitiner, or for any media inquiries about Phoenix House, please call Davia Temin, Suzanne Oaks, or Trang Mar of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or news@teminandco.com. To purchase tickets or make a contribution, please contact Linda B. Shapiro at 631-329-5480 or lbspro@optonline.net.
About Phoenix House
Phoenix House is one of the nation’s leading non-profit substance abuse prevention and treatment service organizations, serving close to 7,500 men, women (including women with children), and teens each day at more than 152 drug and alcohol treatment and prevention programs in 10 states – California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. For information, visit http://www.phoenixhouse.org
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