LCADA Way’s recent Pearls of Wisdom Dinner event raised $175,000 towards treatment and care for those struggling with addiction.
The event which took place Oct. 27 saw TV personality Dr. Drew Pinsky, commonly known as “Dr. Drew” as keynote speaker. He focused on his experiences with working with people going through addiction recovery as part of the annual event.
According to organizer Joe Matuscak, “Dr. Drew was absolutely wonderful. He continued to show his knowledge in the subject and even opened the floor up to the audience to interact which is something we haven’t had before.”
Dr. Drew, is known for his celebrity work on handling addiction from appearing on reality show “Sixteen and Pregnant” to running his own show titled “Celebrity Rehab.”
As for the choice in keynote speaker, Matuscak said they chose Dr. Drew because of “his work and knowledge in the field. He is someone that the audience knows and has so much understanding in the subject.”
The dinner saw the hall at Embassy Suites in Independence filled with over 425 guests.
“All of the funds raised will go back into LCADA Way from covering insurance costs for people who don’t have it to a myriad of funds going back into our The Key women’s facility,” said Matuscak.
The Key women’s facility is a house dedicated to helping women in recovery including providing daycare services to children under 5.
“These funds will go back in to get diapers, clothes and more for these children,” said Matuscak.
Plans for next year’s Pearls of Wisdom dinner have already been underway since August with the list narrowed down to three potential speakers. Matuscak is also looking at the possibility to move to another location in case the attendance numbers grow once more.
LCADA Way is devoted to caring for individuals and families struggling with alcohol and drug addiction with an approach centered on leadership, compassion, awareness, dedication and advocacy. Founded in 1981, the nonprofit has continued to raise awareness and support through a multitude of services including their Pearls of Wisdom annual dinner benefit.
