2017 Event Recap

Circle Health Ball awards grants to mental health programs

Attendees and supporters of the Circle Health Ball for Community Health Initiatives raised over $385,000 in donations on Saturday, March 4 to benefit mental health grants in Greater Lowell.

A crowd of more than 620 guests gathered at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel for the 12th annual event, which included silent and live auctions along with cocktails, dinner and dancing to the music of Nightshift.

The highlight of the evening was the awarding of three Community Initiatives Grants to support behavioral health programs in our communities.

The grant winners were:

• The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell’s new Youth Mental Health Services program, which will integrate a 30 hour per week social worker into the club to help conduct youth support groups and provide one on one counseling for youth with significant behavioral health issues.
• Chelmsford’s Col. Parker Middle School’s Developmental Designs Program, which builds both student and staff skills focused on social-emotional, relationship, community and academic support with the proven results of reducing behavioral health issues.
• The Tewksbury Police Department for its Crisis Intervention Team Law Enforcement Trainings, which will provide training to first responders with an emphasis on improving officers’ de-escalation skills while interacting with those suffering from mental illness on scene and reducing Emergency Department visits in the process.

The evening also included a “Fund a Need Drive,” which raised $50,000 to support the Lowell Transitional Living Center and its creation of a coordinated mental healthcare team to address mental health needs within the city’s homeless population.

"The Ball for Community Health Initiatives is truly a wonderful example of collaboration," said Lowell General Hospital President Jody White. "For more than a decade, the Ball has continued to strengthen and expand a powerful partnership between our local healthcare providers and organizations like Lowell General Hospital, Circle Home, Lowell Community Health Center, and our fantastic community of physicians – working in partnership with the many community agencies and organizations in Greater Lowell."

The Ball was hosted by event co-chairpersons Dr. Jeremy Moses and Dr. Lija Joseph. The Diamond Level sponsor was Enterprise Bank, and Sapphire Level sponsors were Commonwealth Radiology Associates and Merrimack Valley Emergency Associates.

The Circle Health Ball was established in 2006 by Lowell General Hospital, its dedicated medical staff and concerned members of the community to generate awareness and funds to help address significant health issues facing our community.