200 Local Businesses Turn the Town Yellow for the ‘Week of Hope’ in Southampton Village, NY

On Thursday, July 25, at 12-noon in front of Ralph Lauren in Southampton Village, NY, the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) launched its second annual Week of Hope to raise mental health awareness. HDRF founder Audrey Gruss, a Southampton resident, and Board member Arthur Dunnam led the way.

For the duration of the week, 200 local business owners including Michael Kors, Brook’s Brothers, J. Crew, The White Company, the Southampton Arts Center, the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, and Southampton Town Hall will display two-foot-wide yellow statement balloons (environmentally safe and re-usable) by their front door to symbolize hope and their commitment to raising awareness of depression and mental health.

The Hope for Depression Research Foundation is a leading non-profit dedicated to fighting depression through research and education.

The Week of Hope returns to Southampton after its inaugural year in 2018 where, alongside the Race of Hope, it helped to raise more than $250,000 for advanced depression research. The Week and Race of Hope are supported by local residents including Jamee and Peter Gregory, Kim Heirston, Leonard and Judy Lauder, Marigay McKee and Bill Ford, Kitty & Bill McKnight III, Thomas C. Quick, Scott Snyder, Lisa M. Aery, Serena Bowman, Sharon Bush, Susan Gutfreund, Yaz and Valentin Hernandez, The Honorable and Mrs. Earle Mack, Margo M. and James L. Nederlander, Robert Nederlander, Hilary Geary Ross, Clelia and Tom Zacharias.

During Southampton Shop for Hope, on Thursday, August 1 from 4 PM – 6 PM, several stores including Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, J. McLaughlin, Geary Gubbins Sports, and many more, will offer shopping discounts and donate a percentage of sales back to HDRF. Geary Gubbins Sports will host a Race of Hope Kick-Off Party during this time where they will offer refreshments, live music, and raffles and attendees can register for the Race and pick up their race gear if they are already registered.

On Sunday, August 4, the final day of the Week of Hope, Co-Grand Marshals Sailor Brinkley Cook and Jack Brinkley Cook, Audrey Gruss and Arthur Dunnam will lead the fourth annual Race of Hope around Lake Agawam at 8:30 AM. Participants come from the tri-state area and beyond to unite as a community and raise awareness in the fight to defeat depression. 100% of proceeds from the Race will fund groundbreaking research into the root causes of depression in the brain and new and better treatments. To sign up or learn more, please visit the website at hopefordepression.org

Week of Hope participating business owners to date include: Aboff’s Paints, AERIN Southampton, Aloof Icon, Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art, AT& T Store, Bandier, Barber Lounge 36, Bean 2 Tween, Breezin Up, Brooks Brothers, Brownings Fitness Southampton, CAEC Engineering (Chiffert Engineering), Cashmere Emporium, Catena’s Inc Food Market, Charles Schwab, Chaser Southampton, Chico’s, Coldwell Banker Beau Hulse Realty Group, Compass Real Estate, Corcoran Real Estate, Corwin’s Jewelers, Cremieux, CVS, Dazzelle, Dee Jays, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Dutch Girl Cleaners, East End Row, Edward Archer, Egg New York, Eric Messin Jewelry, Flying Point Surf & Sport, Fowler’s Garden Center, Geary Gubbins Sports, Gym Source, Halstead Hamptons, Hampton Interiors, Hamptons Tax and Advisory Services, Hamptons Virtual Office Center, Herrick Hardware Inc, Hidden Gem NY, Hildreth’s Home Goods, ilSandalo, J&G Happy Feet, J. McLaughlin, J.Crew, Jennifer Miller Jewelry, Jildor Shoes, Jill Lynn & Co, Jobs Lane Gastro Pub, Jobs Lane Jewelers, John Dillon Salon, Johnny Was, Katherine Tess Southampton, Latch Pop-Up Inn, Lavelier, Laviano Southampton, Le Chef, Lee Jewelers, LF Stores, Main Street Optics, Malia Mills, Mary Godfrey Custom Framing and Photography, Mattress Firm Southampton, Michael Kors, Morris & Sons, Nic + Zoe, Nest Seekers International, Oceana Nail and Spa, One Kings Lane Southampton, Palm Produce Resortwear, Paul’s Italian American Restaurant, Peter Millar, Plaza Café, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren, Revolve Hair, Roberta Roller Rabbit, Rogers Memorial Library, Rotations Bicycle Center, Ruby + Jenna, Sample Sale, Sea Green Designs, Shari’s Place, Shippys Pumpernickels, Sisal Rugs Wholesale, SOMA by Rodica, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton Chamber of Commerce, Southampton Inn, Southampton Publick House, Southampton Town Hall, Southampton Vacuum & Sewing Center, Inc, Southampton Village Motel, Southrifty Drug, Sterling National Bank, Stevenson’s Toys & Games, Sunrise to Sunset Surf & Sport, Tackle Box, TENET, Tennis East, The Fudge Company, The Kevin Maple Salon, The Luss Group, The Village Gourmet Cheese Shoppe, The White Company, Therapy Life & Style Southampton, Topiaire Candy Shop, Topiaire Flower Shop, Town & Country Real Estate, Truffoire, UA Southampton 4 Theatres, Urban Renaissance, Village of Southampton, W.B. Mason.

Audrey Gruss founded HDRF in April 2006 in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with clinical depression. Today, HDRF is the leading nonprofit organization focused solely on depression research and public education. The World Health Organization has declared depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide, but despite its prevalence, depression is still misunderstood, underfunded and under-researched. The mission of the HDRF is to fund innovative neuroscience research into the origins, medical diagnosis, new treatments, and prevention of depression and its related mood disorders – bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicide.

To date, HDRF has provided more than $30-million through over 125 grants for breakthrough depression research that promises to transform the way depression is viewed, diagnosed, treated and prevented.

What is HDRF, and a quick overview of their work/achievements in the past decade:

• HDRF is the leading non-profit dedicated solely to advanced depression research.
• Audrey Gruss founded the organization in 2006 in memory of her mother, Hope, who struggled with depression.
• The mission of HDRF is to fund cutting-edge neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depression and other related mood disorders.
• In 2010, HDRF launched its Depression Task Force – a collaboration of seven leading scientists, at the frontiers of brain science, from different research institutions across the U.S. and Canada. To accelerate breakthrough research, they share ongoing results, in real-time, at the HDRF Data Center.

About Depression:

•  In the United States, depression affects more than 20-million adults each year – that is one in ten adults.
• Depression is the leading cause of suicide. In the United States, one person dies by suicide every 12 minutes – over 41,000 people per year.
• Depression is the number one cause of disability worldwide.
• Depression costs society $210-billion annually – 60% of which represents reduced efficiency at work and costs related to suicide.

The Crisis in Research and Treatment  

• More than 50% of those diagnosed with depression do not respond to existing treatments.
• Although depression is one of the most serious and prevalent conditions in the US, it is ranked 77th (out of 250) in the amount of federal funding it receives.
• Most of the major pharmaceutical companies have discontinued brain research.

What Makes HDRF Different

• The Depression Task Force represents the most innovative approach to neuroscience research today.
• The Task Force has created an unprecedented research plan with each member executing a piece of the plan in their own laboratories. They are not going down well-worn paths of research. They have identified major challenges in the field and are laser-focused on the areas where the field is stuck.
• They share results in real-time at a centralized data bank. This allows them to leverage data to accelerate research. This is unheard of in the entire scientific research field which is normally competitive and not collaborative.

Key Dates and Times

Author

Phaon Spurlock

Phaon K. Spurlock is a Brooklyn, NY resident who loves traveling, eating out, hosting events and all things marketing.

See author's posts