Event Immerses Donors in Client Experiences, Celebrates Advocates

It’s not often that supporters of a cause get to experience what their dollars help support. But attendees at Easterseals DC MD VA’s Advocacy Awards gala did just that. A unique series of hands-on activity stations enabled those who gathered at Capital One Hall on April 28 to see the world through the eyes of a child with a learning disability, an adult experiencing dementia, and a military veteran transitioning to civilian life. 

For instance, at a station organized by the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, supporters could select the profile of a typical veteran in need of assistance, read about their personal challenges, and then learn how staff work with them to address housing, employment, and other needs to overcome instability. Program staff led the activities, allowing donors to meet the people who make Easterseals’ work possible. 

The evening raised a record $1.2 million to support all Easterseals programs, which help people overcome barriers on the road to well-being. 

The event also included presentation of awards to advocates for children and adults with disabilities, as well as military families. Among the presentations was the Senators Elizabeth & Robert Dole Military Family Advocate Award, named to recognize the couple’s lifelong commitment to military families. This year’s recipients were Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, 28th Commandant of the Coast Guard, and LyndaLee Lunday, an Easterseals Ambassador. Admiral and Mrs. Lunday were especially lauded for working to remove the stigma around seeking mental healthcare. 

Also recognized during the evening: 

• J. Miles Reidy and Dr. Mary Beth Aichelmann-Reidy received the Judy Heumann Community Advocacy Award for their longtime commitment to helping Easterseals meet its mission. Recently, when shrinking subsidies prevented families from affording early education, the Reidys stepped forward with a generous donation that enabled 10 families to enroll their children in an Easterseals Child Development Center. Their generosity spurred other funders to provide support for additional families on the waitlist. 
• Bank of America received the Corporate Advocate Award for its decades of financial and volunteer support to both Easterseals and other causes in the community. Notably, Bank of America was an early contributor to Easterseals’ Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Inter-Generational Center, which opened in 2008. 

Photos and video footage of the activity stations, awards presentations, and more are available upon request.