The Rockland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will hold its annual awards dinner and fashion show at 5:30 p.m. June 16 at The View restaurant in Piermont.
The group will present the Florence Gould Gross Award to Friends of People with Mental Illness to people for their devotion to improving the quality of life for individuals living with psychiatric disabilities and their families. The 2010 honorees are James Bopp, executive director of Rockland Psychiatric Center; Gloria Pesce, NAMI-FAMILYA board member; and Med World Pharmacy for its commitment to employing individuals with disabilities, including mental illness. The corporate award will be accepted by Michael Rosenblum, president of Med World.
This year’s event will include the group’s first Special Award for Students Who Care. Four Rockland County high school students will be recognized for their dedicated volunteerism in mentoring individuals recovering from mental illness, helping to reduce stigma or working with an organization serving these individuals and their families. The students are Hannah Beerman, Samantha Bosalavage, Melanie Simonson, and Ben Yassky.
Local public officials will take part in a fashion show directed by Ver’Shawn London of Fashion House of London. They include Rockland Legislator John Murphy, Rockland Commisioner of Mental Health Mary Ann Walsh-Tozer and the Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.
