February 4/5/12/15, Various Locations, Palm Beach
The Hope for Depression Research Foundation is the country’s leading non-profit organization dedicated solely to fighting depression through research and education. Now in its 14th year, HDRF launched the Race of Hope in Palm Beach in 2019, expanding the event from Southampton, NY, where the Race first started in 2016. Last year the Race of Hope in Palm Beach raised over $300,000 for life-saving research.
Just after the bridge lighting and in the run-up to the Race, The Royal Poinciana Plaza will kick off the Week of Hope on Wednesday, February 5. Many storefronts at The Royal Poinciana Plaza will place a two-foot-wide, environmentally friendly and re-usable, yellow statement balloon at their front doors and hand out informational flyers about depression.
Over in the Worth Avenue shopping district, other stores along Via Bice will also display balloons and support HDRF’s mission with a percentage of sales during a Day of Hope on Wednesday, February 12. Last year the Race of Hope in Palm Beach raised over $300,000 for life-saving research.
Here is a recap of the events launching the Race of Hope in Palm Beach:
- Tuesday, February 4: Bridge Lighting at sunset in HDRF signature sunshine yellow
- Wednesday, February 5: Week of Hope kicks off at The Royal Poinciana Plaza with visually-arresting HOPE balloons (environmentally friendly and re-usable).
- Wednesday, February 12, from 10am to 8pm, Worth Avenue’s Via Bice will host a shop and sip Day of Hope with music and refreshments and all stores donating a percentage of sales back to Hope for Depression Research Foundation.
- Thursday, February 13, Audrey Gruss and Frances Valentine are hosting an invitation-only luncheon at the Frances Valentine flagship store on Worth Avenue’s Via Bice.
- Saturday, February 15, the final day of the Week of Hope, Audrey Gruss and Palm Beach resident and HDRF Board member Scott Snyder, Race Grand Marshals, will lead the Second Annual Palm Beach 5K Race of Hope along the North trail and through the scenic streets of Palm Beach at 8am. Participants have registered from all over South Florida to unite as a community and raise awareness and funds to defeat depression. All participants will receive a finisher hat, short sleeve tech shirt, lightweight jacket and a finisher medal. 100% of proceeds from the Race will fund groundbreaking research into the root causes of depression in the brain and new and better treatments. Supporters who cannot travel to the race are encouraged to have their own “virtual race” in their hometown for $29. #rohpb2020 @hope_hdrf @_HDRF