Family Counseling Center Celebrates 46 Years with Fundraising Gala
The Family Counseling Center of Fulton County held its first-ever Fall Gala on Thursday, September 29, 2022. The gala was held at The Family Counseling Center’s offices at 11-21 Broadway in downtown Gloversville. The event space provided a backdrop for guests to explore the $8.5 million expansion and renovation project, learn more about the organization, and celebrate the work of the agency over the last 46 years.
Founded in 1976 by a board of concerned community members and originally staffed by a cohort of volunteer counselors, the organization has grown and matured into a fundamental cornerstone of mental and behavioral health in the Mohawk Valley. Today, The Family Counseling Center works with over 4,500 clients across six counties. Services include school-based counselors located in four school districts, a Mobile Crisis Unit, satellite office in Fort Plain, a Behavioral Health Clinic, Children and Family Services, the Domestic Violence Program of Fulton County, and more.
“We are truly thankful for those who joined us at our first-ever Fall Gala,” said Michael Countryman, Executive Director of The Family Counseling Center. “The staff at the Center were able to share our story with new faces, celebrate the individuals who have helped build our organization, and honor the work we do. For a first-year event we are astonished by the generosity and support we received from the community.”
The Fall Gala included the recognition of two individuals who have dedicated themselves to the communities in which The Family Counseling Center serves.
The Dr. David and Ann Lee Clough Award recognizes an individual or group for exceptional contributions to the field of behavioral health and is given to an outstanding individual or group who has demonstrated continued excellence in direct or indirect services to the behavioral health. The 2022 honoree is Janine Dykeman, Executive Director of The Mental Health Association of Fulton and Montgomery Counties.
The Mary Ann Harzinski Outstanding Community Service Award honors the legacy of Mary Ann Harzinski, a dedicated teacher and long-time member of The Family Counseling Center Board of Directors. The award is given to an individual or organization who has a recognized record of volunteerism across organizations or has worked in close partnership with organizations. The 2022 honoree is Denise Walsh, the current Secretary of the organization’s Board of Directors, close friend of Mary Ann Harzinski and volunteer of The Family Counseling Center for over 22 years.
In addition to the award honorees, the Fall Gala is presented with the help of an Honorary Organizing Committee that includes:
- John & Sunday Blackmon
- Shawn Cleland & Peter Kiernan
- Stephen & Cheryl McGrattan
- Luigi & Lesley Lanzi
- Grant & Kim Preston
- Gail & Jerry Ryan
- Bryan & Gianna Taylor
- Bill & Roberta Winsman
The Family Counseling Center’s Fall Gala would not have been possible without the generous support of local businesses, foundations, and individuals including:
Cocktail Hour Sponsors:
- Charles A. Gaetano Construction Corp.
- Genoa Healthcare
- Lanzi Family Restaurants
Premier Sponsors:
- Bonadio Group
- The Delaney Family Foundation
- Frasier Enterprises
- Gallagher
- Johnson & Laws, LLC
- MTM Services
- Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home
- PNJ Technology Partners
- Bill & Roberta Winsman
Community Sponsors:
- Alpin Haus
- Architecture +
- Benjamin Moore
- BNB Properties
- Broleco, Inc.
- Brown’s Ford of Johnstown
- Community Bank, N.A.
- CDPHP
- Derby Office Equipment
- Empire Automotive Solutions, LLC
- First Choice Financial Federal Credit Union
- Fulton County Center for Regional Growth
- I-Tek, Inc.
- Marshall & Sterling
- Mental Health Association of Fulton & Montgomery Counties
- Ruby & Quiri
- St. Mary’s Healthcare
- WENT Radio