Friends of Karen Virtual Gala

Friends of Karen, is dedicated to bringing help and hope to critically-ill children and their families who have to manage the difficult journey of caring for a seriously ill child and the challenges of COVID-19.

Over 600 families will turn to Friends of Karen during the year. Now more than ever, Friends of Karen is in need of support to continue providing assistance to help meet the extraordinary demands of a child's illness and help families cope with the unimaginable day to day hardship and suffering.

This year's premier event is being held virtually on Wednesday evening, October 21st so everyone can stay safely apart but unite together in kindness and generosity.

Port Jefferson resident Nancy Mariano, Regional Director for Friends of Karen, will be honored for her lifelong dedication to improving others' lives. After opening a Long Island office in 2001, she immediately created an advisory board, engaged volunteers, and raised funds and awareness developing resources on Long Island that raised much-needed funds supporting Friends of Karen children’s and their families.

When asked about her career, Nancy shared, "When everything is overwhelming,… remember the gift we were given: to help and improve the quality of life of so many."

Join us, with emcee John Berman from CNN, and favorite former Yankee, Mariano Rivera, for this new and memorable event. Every person who joins the live show has the opportunity to have an immediate impact on a family's already difficult journey and ensure that they never face their challenges alone. For sponsor and ticket information, visit https://gala.friendsofkaren.or...

About Friends of Karen: Friends of Karen is a not-for-profit organization that provides emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with cancer or another life-threatening illness and their families in order to keep them stable, functioning, and able to cope. The organization helps hundreds of ill children and their families every month, at no cost to them. Friends of Karen has received Charity Navigator’s top ranking of four stars for 10 years. They are an independent organization that evaluates the financial efficiency and responsibility of more than 9,000 U.S. charities. Friends of Karen also meets the 20 Standards of Charity Accountability of the BBB of Metropolitan New York. Most recently, Friends of Karen earned the Gold Seal of Transparency from Guidestar in 2019. Share and tag us today @friendsofkaren.

For more information about Friends of Karen or to join the event, please call Rebecca Plant at 631-473-1768 ext. 303 or rplant@friendsofkaren.org