275 Attend 20th Annual Peter Sweisgood Breakfast

LICADD’s 20th Annual Peter Sweisgood Breakfast held today at the Melville Marriott, attracted more than 275 attendees. This time-honored autumn tradition brought together treatment professionals, community leaders, government officials, and families in recovery to honor those who have promoted access to substance abuse treatment and to celebrate the miracle of recovery.

At the event, LICADD presented its 2009 Treatment Champion Award to NYS OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo in recognition of her dedication to health and behavioral health care, substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services. Hispanic Counseling Center Executive Director Gladys Serrano received the Community Champion Award for providing top-quality treatment services to underserved populations. And the Media Champion Award was presented to Jed Morey, publisher of the Long Island Press, in recognition of his community leadership and the paper’s hard-hitting, award-winning and ongoing coverage of Long Island’s teen heroin epidemic.

Elected officials at the event included NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, NYS Senator John Flanagan, NYS Assemblymen Phil Boyle and Joe Saladino, and Suffolk Legislator John Kennedy. A big thanks goes out to them for attending and to Colleen – a young woman in recovery who shared her experience, strength and hope with the crowd – moving many to tears. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and table hosts who helped make this event a great success.