LEWES, Del. – The 4th Annual Beebe Goes Purple Guest Bartending event raised $86,209 to support opioid awareness, education, prevention and recovery efforts in Sussex County. The event, hosted by the Beebe Medical Foundation’s Young Professionals Group, took place Sept. 19, 2024, at The Starboard in Dewey Beach.
Since its founding in 2019, Beebe Goes Purple has raised over $338,000 for Beebe Healthcare’s Go Purple Fund, which helps fund addiction services and mental health care through Beebe’s Community Mobile Health Unit.
The Go Purple Fund helps deploy Beebe’s mobile unit and team of mental and behavioral health professionals to areas with high opioid use and overdose rates. This initiative provides clinical care, harm reduction services and connects individuals with Opioid Use Disorder to long-term treatment.
“Beebe Goes Purple began with a group of young professionals eager to make a difference in the opioid crisis in Sussex County, but it has evolved into something far bigger. This movement has united people from all backgrounds, all working together to create positive change in our community,” said Amy Keller, Event Coordinator at Beebe Medical Foundation. “Addiction has touched many of our supporters’ lives, and Beebe Goes Purple provides a way for them to contribute to the solution.”
The event featured local community celebrities bartending in 15-minute shifts to raise funds. The top fundraisers included: Justin Fisher and Taylor Knox of Decade80, who raised $8,001 the night of the event and Paul Magliato and Adam DiSabatino, who raised the most overall with $13,015.
“The support for this year’s Beebe Goes Purple was incredible. We have The Starboard, all of our sponsors, our amazing bartenders, and all of our guests to thank for this year’s great turn out and fundraising,” said Sean Flanigan, Gift Officer, Beebe Medical Foundation. “We continue to grow both the event and our impact on the community year after year.”
The 5th Annual Beebe Goes Purple Celebrity Guest Bartending event is set for Thursday, Sept. 18, at The Starboard.