What a night! The 5th Annual Annual Masquerade Ball: Unmasking Mental Illness and Addiction was hosted by the Carroll County Mental Health Advocates (CMHA) on Saturday, October 7 at the Venue on Cedar in Carrollton, GA. Attendees enjoyed a live band, DJ, dancing, live and silent auctions, raffle drawings, delicious food and drinks, and a chance to learn more about the services and programs that CMHA provides.
We were honored to recognize Tanner Health System as the first ever “Advocate of the Year”! The CMHA Board of Directors determined that the new Advocate of the Year award would be given to an individual, group, entity, or organization that has worked tirelessly in helping to bring awareness and fight the stigma against mental illness and addiction in Carroll County. There is no doubt that Tanner Health System – which includes the great work done by Willowbrooke at Tanner – more than deserved this award.
This year’s event raised over $150,000!!! This incredible amount came from sponsorships, ticket sales, silent auction proceeds, live auction proceeds, raffles, and private and individual donations. We also raised over $71,000 in in-kind goods and services, and over $55,000 in auction items. And NONE of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the countless volunteers who helped with all aspects of the event. We tracked well over 200 volunteer hours towards this year’s event!
Now for the important questions: How will this money be utilized? How far will this money go? For example, a $50 donation can purchase one recovery workbook for a CMHA client entering the 12-Step Recovery Program. Here are more ways these funds will benefit CMHA’s current and future clients:
- A $100 donation can cover the cost of a Carter Sensory Autism Kit for first responder use on the Crisis Response Team for a youth mental health crisis call.
- A $250 donation covers a month of prescription emergency mental health medication for one un-insured client.
- $500 will cover transportation costs to long term treatment facilities for two clients. – A Silver Sponsorship ($2,000) covers the cost of Long-Term Recovery Prep Packages for TEN clients. (These are required for entry into long-term treatment.)
- A Gold Sponsorship ($3,000) covers the cost of 300 Support Groups per year that will serve more than 1,500 clients annually in Carroll County.
- Platinum Sponsorships ($5,000) cover the support costs of TWO HUNDRED CLIENTS. (These can include work boots, photo ID’s, birth certificates, and other unexpected necessities.)
- The Signature Sponsorship ($7,500) covers the cost of THIRTY entry fees to long-term addiction recovery/psychiatric treatment facilities for indigent clients.
- And the Presenting Sponsorship ($10,000) aids in the expansion of the Carroll County Crisis Response Team!
The 2023 Presenting Sponsor was Green Acres Wellness Center. Green Acres is a residential recovery center that takes a holistic approach to addiction treatment, focusing on healing the whole person, not just their addiction. CMHA was honored to have Green Acres Wellness Center as their Presenting Sponsor this year, and we are incredibly grateful for their tremendous support of all CMHA programs and services.Thank you to Green Acres Wellness, and to Miles Neal who also served as our fantastic emcee for the evening!
The mission of the Carroll County Mental Health Advocates is to be the missing link for individuals and their families impacted by mental illness and addiction. This private non-profit organization was founded in 2008 after a group of concerned citizens, including representatives from Probate Court, law enforcement, treatment providers, and other community agencies convened to discuss the ever-growing mental health crisis that was happening in Carroll County. It was determined from that meeting that there was a “missing link” in the mental health treatment plan: an Advocate who would work with the individual facing mental illness to provide information about the disease and the treatment, as well as connecting them with other available resources. Since then, CMHA has grown into a dynamic, multi-faceted organization that provides critical services and resources that fill gaps in services in Carroll County. Programs include Diversion Programs, Crisis Response Team, Peer Support Services, Recovery Community Organization, and an array of other community education services and programs available to the public at no cost. CMHA is committed to providing support services, resources, and education to those impacted by mental illness and addiction in our community.
CMHA would like to thank ALL of our 2023 sponsors and supporters. See a full list of event sponsors below:
● Presenting Sponsor: Green Acres Wellness
● Signature Sponsor: Southwire
● Platinum Sponsors: Willowbrooke, Herb Cranford – Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, City of Carrollton Police Department, Tanner Health System, Cheers Fine Wine & Spirits, Venue on Cedar, Schiller Productions, Makson Electrical, Keystone Built LLC, Mike & Liz Sibley, Shuckers Oyster House, 3:16 Healthcare, Mountain Oak Florist & Gifts
● Gold Sponsors: Georgia Power, Hightower Family Funeral Homes, Carroll EMC, City of Carrollton, Ben Butler Family, SMI Management, University of West Georgia, Dawnbreakers Rotary Club, Illuminated Productions, John Thornton Buick GMC, Pete the Cat LLC, Mr. Joel Tisinger, Southland Insurance Agency
● $5,000+ Donors: Fulford Family Foundation
● We also want to thank our many Silver Sponsors, individual donors, and auction item donors!
We cannot thank our sponsors, donors, and community partners and supporters enough! We couldn’t continue our mission of being the missing link in our community without you!
Save the date for next year’s Masquerade Ball: Saturday, October 5, 2024!
