Spirit Awards Brunch
Our 2025 Spirit Awards Brunch will be at The Briarcliff Manor on Sunday, March 30 starting at 11:00 am. It will be a beautiful day with brunch, a mimosa bar, and amazing raffles and silent auction prizes, and musical entertainment by world renowned violinist Daisy Jopling!
We hope you can join us! Proceeds from the event help fund our free and confidential breast, ovarian, and other gynecological cancer support services and programs.
Please feel free to contact us should you need more information: 914-962-6402 or info@supportconnection.org.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Looking to sponsor the Spirit Awards Brunch? We offer a wide array of sponsorship opportunities at a variety of price points with generous benefits.
Purchasing Tickets
Space is limited. Tickets are $150 per person or $135 per person for a group of 10 or more guests.
Digital Journal Ads
Purchase an ad in the Spirit Awards Brunch Digital Journal! Take out a digital ad to celebrate an honoree or advertise your business. The digital journal will be put on our wesbite for thousands to see! Click here to view last year’s digital journal.
Enter our Grand Prize Raffle Drawing!
$500 Cash Prize, Dine Arounds, Spa Experiences, and more! Download our Grand Prize Raffle form, print it out, and mail it in to Support Connection along with your form of payment. You are bound to win something great! The drawing will take place Sunday, March 30, 2025. Winner need not be present at the Spirit Awards Brunch.
We are excited to present our Annual Spirit Awards to very special honorees:
The Andrea Karl Amazing Grace Award
This award is presented in honor and memory of Andrea Karl, a Peer Counselor at Support Connection for 16 years. This award is presented to the person dealing with cancer who has faced challenges and through support, uncovered strength and hope along their cancer journey.
2025 Honoree: Andrea Della Mura
“Telling my story about being a young 24-year-old diagnosed with breast cancer has a profound impact on most people. Cancer has been a part of my thread in life for over 30 years and so has Support Connection. This community of caring and loving individuals provided me with emotional and social support throughout my long journey and I am truly grateful!”
The Maria Rubino Jennings Spirit of Caring Award
This award is presented in honor and memory of Maria who helped create Support Connection’s Peer Counseling program and other services. Like Maria, the recipients have made a positive difference in many lives through the power of caring.
2025 Honoree: Sara Somerville
“The very first call I made when I was diagnosed with breast cancer was to Support Connection. I joined a small support group that Maria Rubino Jennings led. This was a lifeline for me. To be able to share my experience with others who were traveling the same journey was invaluable. This was over 20 years ago. My relationship with Support Connection has continued for all those years. I’ve had the honor of co-facilitating workshops for Support Connection – an opportunity to give back, just a little bit, of what I gained from that group experience. To be honored with a Spirit of Caring Award in the name of Maria means the world to me. I feel like I’m sharing this honor with her. It’s almost as if things have come round full circle.”
The Dolly and Mike Acocella Spirit of Giving Award
This award is presented to those who are an inspiration to others and clearly demonstrate what it means to give of oneself. They are people who help Support Connection help others by giving wholeheartedly through volunteering and promoting our mission, as Dolly and Mike always did.
2025 Honoree: Debbie Scherrer
“Support Connection’s mission holds a special place in my heart having lost a very dear friend to ovarian cancer. Volunteering for this wonderful organization has truly given me a rewarding experience. I am so grateful to the Support Connection staff for honoring me in this way and thankful for their help and support over the years. I have also been blessed with many new friendships and hope to continue helping in any way with this amazing nonprofit!”
The Julie Haney Spirit of Hope Award
This award is presented in honor and memory of Julie, who found the support she needed from our Peer Counselors. Julie exuded hope and was a bright light to all who knew her. This award is given to individuals who appreciate that, with support, they can face their challenges and move forward with hope in their heart. Their positive and caring attitude encourages and inspires others.
2025 Honoree: Laura Markowski
“Support Connection has been a lifeline for me during some of the most challenging moments of my life. As a breast cancer survivor, their Peer Counselors provided me with guidance, understanding, and hope when I needed it most. Knowing there were people who truly understood my journey made all the difference. Being honored with the Julie Haney Spirit of Hope Award is deeply meaningful to me. It reflects the resilience and hope I found through Support Connection and the incredible strength we can all draw from one another. I am profoundly grateful for this recognition and for the opportunity to be part of such a compassionate and empowering community.”
Spirit of Community Award
This award is presented to individuals or organizations whose efforts and actions make a huge difference to Support Connection and the community.
2025 Honoree: Mario Mancini of A&S Fine Foods Jefferson Valley
“Through the years many women in my family and others close to me have had breast cancer. This is one of the toughest things anyone can go through. I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know someone who has been touched by cancer. I am happy to show my support to those going through cancer and organizations offering support or working on finding a cure. I have been contributing to Support Connection for years and I am proud to do so. Receiving this honor means so much to me.“