The Child Mind Institute 2024 Child Advocacy Award Dinner Raises Nearly $7M to Support Families Facing Mental Health Challenges

Carrie Walton Penner honored for her contributions advancing the Child Mind Institute’s mission to transform the lives of children struggling with mental health and learning disorders

New York, NY — The Child Mind Institute, the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health, hosted its annual Child Advocacy Award Dinner last night at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan. The event raised $6.9 million in support of the Child Mind Institute’s mission to improve the mental health of children and families through clinical care, scientific research and public education. The evening was hosted by actress, comedian, and advocate Ali Wentworth.

Carrie Walton Penner, youth mental health advocate, founder of Fiore Ventures, and owner of the Denver Broncos, who was presented with the 2024 Child Advocacy Award, said, “The mental health gap facing young people is an enormous, complicated challenge that leaves too many without access to care. Child Mind Institute is revolutionizing the field by bringing together care, education, and science to help young people reach their full potential.”

The event was a gathering and celebration of individuals committed to helping children and families overcome mental health challenges and learning disorders. Photos from the evening are available here.

“There are very few bipartisan issues in our nation, but we are all here because we agree on one thing: there is a youth mental health crisis. This crisis affects everyone. Mental health disorders remain the most common illnesses of childhood and adolescence,” said Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, the founding President and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute. “The Child Mind Institute is committed to meeting this challenge with the best in care, education, and science.”

Benefit chairs included Andreas C. Dracopoulos, Elizabeth and Michael Fascitelli, Christine and Richard Mack, Brooke Garber Neidich and Daniel Neidich, Zibby and Kyle Owens, Abigail Pogrebin and David Shapiro, Linnea and George Roberts and Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

To learn more about the Child Mind Institute please visit childmind.org.

About the Child Mind Institute

We are the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing open science initiatives and tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.

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For press questions, contact our press team at childmindinstitute@ssmandl.com or our media officer at mediaoffice@childmind.org.