The Guidance Center to Host 8th Annual Sunset Sip

The Guidance Center, a nonprofit child and family mental health service provider headquartered in Long Beach, will host its eighth annual Sunset Sip: Be the Hero of Your Own Story benefit at Hotel Maya in Long Beach on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event is presented by The Peck Family and sponsored by passionate mental health advocates like the Burmeister-Brooks Family and The Cherry Avenue Companies.

This year’s theme, “Be the Hero of Your Own Story,” invites guests to realize and unleash their own unique superpowers through superhero-themed interactive play therapy experiences. The evening will feature wine tasting, a delectable dinner crafted by the talented Hotel Maya chefs, guest speakers, and a silent and live auction. Special guests include Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, PhD, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, and a Guidance Center client family, who will share their inspiring journey to positive mental health.

The purpose of Sunset Sip is to raise mental health awareness in the community, break down barriers to treatment like stigma, and raise funds that will enable The Guidance Center to continue providing services to the most disadvantaged children and families who are struggling with mental illness and abuse in Long Beach and surrounding areas.

“At The Guidance Center, we believe everyone has a unique superpower and the ability to be the hero of their own story,” said Patricia Costales, CEO of The Guidance Center. “Now more than ever, children in our community need to hear that message. By attending Sunset Sip, the community can help us spread that message of healing and hope to more children and families.”

Last year, Sunset Sip raised more than $140,000 through ticket sales, generous donations, and sold silent and live auctions items donated by local businesses, The Guidance Center’s board of directors and mental health advocates. Funds raised have been used to positively impact the community through The Guidance Center’s early intervention and prevention programs like It’s About T.I.M.E. (Trauma-Informed Movement in Education), which is an innovative program in partnership with Long Beach Unified School District, play and art therapy on-the-go kits for clinicians, and co-located partnerships with other community organizations like Century Villages at Cabrillo, Educare and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Tickets start at $125. Sponsorships are still available, starting at $500. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/SUNSETSIP2018 or call 562-485-2551.

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About The Guidance Center

Established in 1946, The Guidance Center provides comprehensive mental health treatment to more than 3,000 children and families in the communities of Long Beach, Lynwood, Compton, Paramount, San Pedro and Avalon annually. The Guidance Center offers individual, group and family therapy, crisis intervention, case management, community education and outreach, and intensive mental health treatment. Headquartered in Long Beach, The Guidance Center also has clinics in Compton and San Pedro. For more information on The Guidance Center, please visit www.tgclb.org.