With over 250 guests in attendance, VNS Westchester’s (VNSW) hugely successful Spring Benefit Gala was the highest attended in the organization’s history and generated a record-breaking number of donations. Inspired by the generous spirit of the Gala’s honorees and the not-for-profit agency’s high-quality home health and community healthcare services, friends and donors contributed $127,000 to VNS Westchester. The Spring Benefit Gala was held on a balmy spring evening at the lovely Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale on May 15.
Hosted by Michael Gargiulo, NBC4 New York Anchor (his third turn at emceeing the VNSW event), the Gala featured an awards ceremony that honored three of VNSW’s healthcare partners. William P. Harrington, chairman of the Westchester County Association (WCA), who received VNSW’s Community Leadership Award, which he accepted on behalf of WCA’s Healthcare Consortium; Anne Sweazey, executive director of the Arc of Westchester Foundation and past VNSW board member, who was presented with the Katharine McCloskey Wilson Award; and Honoree Rita C. Mabli, president and chief executive officer of United Hebrew, who received the Distinguished Service Award. Grace Ferri, United Hebrew’s vice president of development and marketing, accepted the award on behalf of Mabli, who was unable to be present. The awards were presented by Lou Nemnom, VNSW president and chief executive officer; VNSW board member Katharine W. Conroy; and VNSW board chair, Kyle O’Loughlin-Cahill, respectively.
In his remarks, Nemnom set the tone for a festive evening and expressed his thanks to guests, corporate sponsors, local businesses, health care organizations, and other contributors from throughout the community, for their generosity in supporting the agency.
“Because of your support over the years and on this special evening tonight, our Gala is the organization’s largest and most successful in its history,” Nemnom rejoiced.
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Proceeds from the Spring Benefit Gala directly support VNS Westchester’s efforts to provide expanded programs, complementary care services, and charitable care for its home healthcare patients in Westchester, the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties. Funds also support the wide range of free community health education programs and services that the agency provides to seniors and other populations in the five-county region it serves.
About VNS Westchester
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Founded in 1901, VNSW is the largest independent not-for-profit, Medicare-certified home healthcare agency serving residents of Westchester, the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties. The agency provides skilled nursing with case management, rehabilitation, medical social work and home health aide services to people of all ages, and offers a wide range of specialty care programs, and free community health education for the public and healthcare professionals. VNS Westchester’s services consistently meet the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) National Standards of Excellence for Homecare, and it is recognized for having one of the lowest preventable hospital readmission rates in the region. The agency works closely with other healthcare providers, with its Home Health Care Liaisons on-site at over 100 healthcare facilities to aid with discharge planning and safe patient transitions to the home care setting. The agency is based in White Plains, with a branch office in Brewster in Putnam County. For more information, call 914-682-1480 or visit www.vns.org.
