The country’s leading non-profit dedicated to advanced depression research, Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF), has announced the honorees for the 16th Annual HOPE luncheon seminar taking place at The Plaza Hotel on November 9th including gold medalist Aly Raisman and philanthropists and generous supporters of HDRF, Jamee and Peter Gregory.
The seminar, led by Master of Ceremonies Chuck Scarborough, will focus on “Teenagers and Depression: Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis” with top scientists and psychiatrists taking the stage to raise awareness about a major and growing public health issue.
Dr. Angela Diaz, Professor in Adolescent Health at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Director at Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, will be the keynote Medical Speaker. Widely recognized as one of the world’s most influential advocates for adolescent and young adult health, Dr. Diaz directs a pioneering program that delivers high-quality care to more than 12,000 of New York City’s young people. She is a leading figure in public health advocacy, helping to advance policies that break down the economic and social barriers to high-quality health and wellness care for young people.
Aly Raisman will accept the 2022 Hope Award for Depression Advocacy. Raisman, team captain of the gold medal winning Women’s Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016, is the third most decorated American gymnast of all-time. The most decorated U.S. gymnast at the 2012 Games, Raisman captured the hearts of millions as she became the first American gymnast to win gold in the floor exercise. One of only three U.S. gymnasts to make back-to-back teams in more than 20 years, she helped guide the team to gold and landed a silver medal performance in the All-Around competition at the 2016 Games. A leader on and off the floor, Raisman uses her platform to help normalize the conversation around mental health and the importance of prioritizing self-care in order to be your best self. Open about her personal struggles with anxiety, depression and PTSD, she encourages others to share their stories and seek out support through community, which has been crucial to her journey towards feeling better.
The program will also feature news about discoveries by HDRF’s acclaimed Depression Task Force, an international consortium of top neuroscientists from different universities who are compiling data and expertise to accelerate research.
To purchase tables and tickets for the HOPE luncheon, please visit www.HopeForDepression.org/events
