Mental Health America's
Centennial Gala on June 11
To Honor Senators Edward Kennedy, Pete Domenici

Special Guest Speakers: Tipper Gore, Glenn Close, Rosalynn Carter, Sanjay Gupta, David Wellstone; Performances by Dwight Yoakam, Vanessa Carlton

Contact: Steve Vetzner, (703) 797-2588 or svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (May 28, 2009)-Mental Health America, celebrating its 100^th Anniversary as the founder of the organized mental health movement, will honor Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Pete Domenici for their legendary work in mental health at its Centennial Gala on Thursday, June 11, in Washington, D.C.

Special guest speakers at the Gala include Mrs. Tipper Gore, Honorary Chair of Mental Health America's Centennial Celebration, Former First Lady Mrs. Rosalynn Carter, award-winning actress Glenn Close, Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN, and David Wellstone, son of the late Senator Paul Wellstone.

Country music star Dwight Yoakam and Grammy nominee Vanessa Carlton will perform at the dinner. CBS News correspondents Chip Reid and Kimberly Dozier will emcee.

Kennedy and Domenici will be presented with Paul Wellstone Legacy Awards for their lifelong work and commitment to mental health, and their leadership in winning passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, which was signed into law last year.

The Gala will be held at Andrew Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C.  A general reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner is at 7:30 p.m.

The Gala is part of Mental Health America's Centennial Celebration and Conference, "Forging the Future, Celebrating the Legacy," which is marking a century of achievement and its historic role as the leader of the organized mental health movement in America.

Bringing together advocates, educators, researchers, health professionals, and business and community leaders, the Conference will feature an extraordinary group of political analysts, policy experts, medical experts, researchers and advocates to examine key developments that will shape changes in mental health in the months and years ahead.

For more information on the Gala and Mental Health America's Centennial Conference, including agenda, speakers and registration, please visit http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/conference.

Celebrating 100 years of mental health education and advocacy, Mental Health America is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 300 affiliates nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation-every day and in times of crisis.  In 2009, we are marking a century of achievement with a year-long Centennial Observance: "Celebrating the Legacy, Forging the Future."

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