On November 14th, Ability Beyond had the privilege of celebrating three community leaders whose vision, innovation, and philanthropy continue to transform lives with meaning, purpose, and independence. More than 375 attendees gathered at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury to honor these heroes and raise nearly $90,000 to empower people with disabilities and mental illness.

We are very grateful to our major sponsors for their tremendous generosity, including Champion Sponsors – The Goldring Family Foundation and Hudson Regional LTC Pharmacy as well as Leadership Sponsors – Belimo, Mary & Philip Borba, Fairfield County Bank, Fairfield County Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Ives Bank, Mulvaney Mechanical, Nuvance Health, Victorian Associates, and Western Connecticut State University.

Celine Karraker Memorial Award

Chester Elton, #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, Organizational Culture Expert, Employee Engagement Expert, and Leadership Expert, virtually accepted the Celine Karraker Memorial Award.

As a member of our Human Resources Advisory Board, Elton helped our workforce understand and cope with the anxiety and isolation of COVID by refueling their optimism to forge ahead with resilience and renewed appreciation of their importance in our mission. Additionally, Elton’s vision through his award-winning book, Anxiety at Work, and seminars continue to provide guidance to our leadership and staff.

Theresa Foss Memorial Award

The Theresa Foss Memorial Award was given this year posthumously to Dr. Robert H. Bedoukian, President of Bedoukian Research and Chairman of Ability’s Board of Directors. A dear friend to Ability Beyond since 2004, Dr. Bedoukian also served on our Board and Finance Committee since 2013.

Dr. Bedoukian’s empathy, philanthropy and hands-on volunteerism has deeply touched so many lives in our community and at Ability Beyond. Whether it was expanding our employment programs for people with disabilities, supporting innovation to best monitor their medical issues, or sustaining our group homes – his wisdom has been invaluable.

Above & Beyond Award

Wyndham Southbury, a longtime employment partner of Ability Beyond, received our inaugural Above & Beyond Award. This award was created this year to honor those who have gone above the call of duty in the name of disability inclusion. The hotel’s General Manager, Ayman Agamy, accepted the award on behalf of the hotel and was also featured in our Dreaming Bigger mission video to highlight the special partnership with our agency.

Thank you to all sponsors, attendees, volunteers, and our event committee for making this event a major success. The collective energy and generosity shown this morning were unmatched, and we couldn’t be more grateful!

View our Photo Album with Fairfield County Look.

If you were unable to attend but would still like to support our cause, please consider making a donation today!