HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND (May 5, 2015) — Father Martin’s Ashley, a leading non-profit addiction treatment center, announced today that Emmy Award-winning actress and The New York Times best–selling author Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock from the Sun, The Exes) will be the featured speaker at the annual Mae Abraham Legacy Luncheon. In its eighth year, the event will be held at the Baltimore Four Seasons Hotel on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 11 a.m.
The event is named in honor of Mae Abraham, who co-founded Father Martin’s Ashley (Ashley) in 1983 with Father Joseph C. Martin, S.S. Formerly known as the Women in Recovery Luncheon, the event raises awareness and financial resources for the Mae Abraham Legacy Fund to support scholarships and programming initiatives for women at Ashley’s inpatient addiction treatment center located on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace.
“We hold this luncheon every year, not only to raise awareness of the unique addiction challenges women face but to fund essential programs to meet the needs of women struggling with dependence on alcohol and drugs,” said Catherine Hryncewich, Vice President of Corporate Advancement for Ashley. “Having strong women such as Kristen Johnston speak out about their recovery journey demonstrates to all of us that there is hope and a better way.”
Johnston is the acclaimed author of Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster, an autobiography that chronicles her addiction to alcohol and pain pills that began when she was in high school. According to the book’s publisher, Gallery Books, the memoir continues to inspire both addicts and non-addicts alike, despite being released more than two years ago.
With a wide variety of stage, screen and television roles to her credit, Johnston is also the founder and executive director of SLAM (Sobriety, Learning and Motivation), a non-profit that aims to build a sober high school in New York City (SLAMNYC.org). She also teaches at NYU.
Research shows that more than half of all women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 44 have used illegal drugs at least once in their life, and approximately nine million women use illegal drugs every year. The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism estimates that 5.3 million American women drink in a way that threatens their health, safety and general well-being.
Additional information, as well as sponsorships and tickets for the luncheon, are available online at www.fathermartinsashley.org/luncheon, or by calling 410-273-2343.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Tracey Cassidy
917-741-6246
tcassidy@rosecomm.com
Lisa Trapani
410-245-0094
ltrapani@rosecomm.com