Autumn Event Keynote Speaker Ron Suskind Encourages Audience to Embrace Their Inner Heroes
Penn Foundation’s caring community came together on September 26 for our 15th annual Autumn Event featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Ron Suskind.
This special evening raised $170,000 for Penn Foundation, which supports our ability to provide the clinical programs and care upon which our community depends. Of that amount, the silent auction raised $12,000 for Camp Mariposa®, a national addiction prevention and mentoring program founded by former Major League baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer for youth who have been impacted by substance abuse in their families.
We were delighted to welcome Richard Curtis, Souderton Area High School teacher and winner of the Live! With Kelly co-host contest, as our emcee this year. His friendly, energetic personality engaged the audience.
For the first time, we celebrated a family – The Hunsbergers: Steven, Charlotte, Colin, Ian, and Lily – with our 14th annual Adventures in Excellence Award. This award recognized the Hunsbergers’ integrity, commitment to excellence, and active volunteer service with numerous community organizations. “Penn Foundation occupies a unique and special place in this community,” said Steve Hunsberger. “The way Penn Foundation has grown and changed and molded itself to take care of the changing needs of this community has been really exciting. The love and caring that comes out of Penn Foundation has been a blessing to witness, and it’s exciting to see what Penn Foundation does next.”
We were also pleased to present Sandy Landis, Penn Foundation’s Director of Human Resources (retired), with the 4th annual Vernon H. Kratz, MD Penn Foundation Service Award. Throughout a remarkable career that spanned 47 years, Sandy Landis demonstrated incredible integrity, compassion, and dedication to Penn Foundation’s mission and particularly our staff, knowing firsthand the challenges and importance of their work.
Autumn Event continued with an inspiring presentation by Ron Suskind, who candidly shared his family’s journey raising and connecting with their autistic son Owen, now 26. Ron captivated the audience with his humor, honesty, and passionate storytelling, reminding all of us that we are the heroes of our own stories.
Autumn Event was orchestrated by a dedicated group of volunteers, led by Chair Dale Westwood, who worked throughout the year to plan a dynamic and engaging evening that shed a light on Penn Foundation’s work.