Edinburg’s Night of Shining Stars

It is a night when the stars shine brightly. The Edinburg Center rolled out the red carpet for the annual Night of Shining Stars gala on June 6th.  A tradition since 2001, this year’s event took place at the Danversport Yacht Club and was a wonderful celebration as members, staff and community partners came together to share in milestones, hear inspiring stories, and honor this year’s award recipients.

This year, The Edinburg Center recognized these Shining Stars: Jimmy Broderick, Mark Cavallaro, Christopher Ferreira, Stuti Gandhi, Jessica Locey, Quinn McClernan, Stephen Meuse, George Munga, Jeannot Jean Pierre, Carol Pyne, Joan Rainey, Sushma Raisingani, Betsy Reid, Kayte Russell, Liz Shaw, Karrie Smith, MaryLynn Sokolowski, Jen Thompson, Justin Winward, and Tevin Yi.

Sadness tinged the conclusion of the evening when people learned of the tragic death of Mark Cavallaro. Learning of the tragedy only moments before delivery, Timothy Little delivered Mark’s speech in absentia.  A sampling of the words expressed about Mark included, that Mark was an outstanding role model who led by example and went “out of his way to be positive and authentic, and to make everyone feel welcome.”  Mark truly was a Shining Star and his presence will be missed throughout The Edinburg Center community.

All proceeds from the Night of Shining Stars continue to foster hope and enhance the quality of life of people with mental health conditions, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Autism, co-occurring disorders, and Acquired Brain Injuries.

This year’s sponsors included Maureen Arkle and Neil Fitzpatrick, Brown & Brown, Kit Lily, MacDonald and Vacarro, Russell and Paula Kopp, Diane Stone, Patricia Farnsworth, Lawson & Weitzen, The Edinburg Center Leadership Team, USI Insurance Services, Betsey Eltonhead, Jeffrey Selberg, Morgan, Brown & Joy, Smart Staffing, Inc., Ed Basile, Ellis Strategies, Betsey Reid, Interior Resources, USA, John Gatto, Pax Care Services, and Krokidas & Bluestein.

“We would like to sincerely thank all of our generous sponsors who helped to make this night possible. The Edinburg Center is grateful to be surrounded by a wonderful group of community partners, board members, and businesses who believe strongly in our mission, the work that we do, and most importantly, the people that we serve,” said President and CEO Patti Maguire.