“HRS is all about caring -- for children and families and community.

"My greatest hope is to strengthen HRS so that we can continue to serve all who
need us.”

- Arnold Kerzner, MD

First Kerzner Award Dinner

New HRS Award Dinner May 4, 2006
To Honor Arnold Kerzner, MD

On May 4, Celebrity chefs Geoff Gardner (Sel de la Terre), Frank Santonastaso (Vela) and Mitchell Maxwell (Maxwell's 148) will prepare an outstanding menu for guests from Wayland, Wellesley, Weston and the area, gathered to establish a new community service award and honor a beloved practitioner, therapist and friend.

The Human Relations Service, Inc. (HRS) will sponsor its first Arnold Kerzner Award Dinner at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley on Thursday evening, May 4.  A sell-out audience of 270 guests will enjoy a gala reception and three course dinner, prepared by top chefs and supported by local businesses.  All proceeds will support HRS and its many services.  Dr. Kerzner, the Chief of Clinical Service for the organization, will receive this first award named in his honor, for outstanding service to the community for over 36 years.  Members of the Kerzner family, including his wife of 43 years, Joan, daughter Leslie, and son Jeff, will join HRS Director Dr. Rob Evans, Channel 5’s Susan Wornick, co-chairs and Dinner Sponsors Marcia & Tom Alperin, Joan & Steve Belkin, Joanne & Paul Egerman, Al & Diane Kaneb and Ellen & Gary Walpert to present the award and best wishes to this leader in mental health care.

The mission of HRS is to treat, reduce, and prevent mental illness.  It is the principal provider of outpatient mental health services in Wellesley, Weston, and Wayland, and delivers 6,000 hours of treatment per year to more than 400 individuals from nearly 200 families.  Over 1,200 hours of consultation and education services are provided to local schools and other agencies every year, as well as education and support to parent and civic groups, employee assistance programs and counseling services to local college students.  The small staff, which includes many senior-level specialists in a wide range of problem areas, averages 12 years tenure at HRS and is exceptionally familiar with and devoted to the towns they serve.

Founded in 1948 by Erich Lindemann, M.D., and a group of local citizens, HRS was the first community mental health agency in the nation to adopt the mental health of a community as its mission and to provide systematic programs that foster coping.  Much that is now standard in the treatment of grief, crisis intervention and the practice of community mental health was developed by Dr. Lindemann and his colleagues over a half-century ago at HRS.

SAVE THE DATE

When: Thursday, May 4, 2006
6:00 pm cocktail reception
7:00 pm dinner and  presentation of the Arnold Kerzner Award

Where: Hunnewell House
at Elm Bank
of the Mass Horticultural Society (900 Washington Street,
Wellesley, MA)

How: Become a sponsor or reserve your table by calling Award Dinner Coordinator Dawn Brennan-Daly at 617-964-1340 dawnbrennandaly@comcast.net, or HRS Development Director Donna Poretsky, at 781-235-4950 poretsky@hrshelps.org