2026 Center for HOPE Luncheon

Join us September 16 for our annual
Center for HOPE Luncheon

Wee Burn Beach Club, Rowayton, CT

Featuring Kate Doerge

Author, grief counselor, and motivational speaker

Kate is an authentic and dynamic speaker who inspires others to reach for joy, turn pain into purpose, and shine a light in powerful ways. After losing her father to heart failure, her mother to a car crash 5 days before Christmas, and her 16-year-old daughter Penny to neurofibromatosis, her life has been driven by the mission to help others face challenges and reimagine their choices and their path.

Co-chaired by
Liz Victory Anderson, Claiborne Swanson Frank, and Susan Yonce.

Luncheon Committee

Veronica Swanson Beard
Alston Calabrese
Kate Clark
Mary Dillow
Stephanie Douglass
Lisa Errico
Samantha Flowerdew
Erin Glasebrook

Polly Goodyear
Bri Hart
Elizabeth Lake
Ashley McCormick
Kate Milliken
Ashley Reid
Erica Silverman
Margaret Warden

Proceeds from the 2026 Center for HOPE Luncheon will benefit Family Centers' Center for HOPE and The Den for Grieving Kids, supporting children and adults coping with illness, loss, and life-altering circumstances.

Sponsorship Levels

Each sponsorship package includes preferred seating, pre-event publicity and acknowledgment on event signage and collateral, copies of Kate's new book, Reimagining Grief, and a VIP meet and greet.