The Miller-Dwan Foundation’s 2009 Annual Report is hot off the press! We’re very proud of the many accomplishments we made in 2009, thanks to the continued generosity of our donors. It is because of you that we’re able to make a difference in the lives of so many of our community members.  In 2009, we awarded $837,470 to improve healthcare in our region; we committed to raising $5 million to build a new mental health center for our region’s children, teens, and young adults; we received more than $2 million, including a $1 million lead gift for the new children’s mental health center; we welcomed the Former Prime Minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik, to ARTcetera as the honorary co-chair and guest speaker; and we raised more than $2.7 million in gifts from people throughout our region – a record setting year for the Foundation. 

Watch your mailbox for more information to come very soon.

Thousands of people were turned down for this year’s half marathon. If you were one of them and thought your chance to run had come and gone, think again. Security Jewelers is offering the opportunity to bid on a Grandma’s Half Marathon Guaranteed Participation Spot. Bids will be taken on Ebay beginning Wednesday, April 21 for 7 days only! Starting bid is $25.00! 

All proceeds will go to the Miller-Dwan Foundation Turning Point Campaign to build a new child and adolescent mental wellness center.  Bid today!  Just click on this link -  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310215116709&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

on Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in Somers Main Lounge at the College of St. Scholastica to hear Jordan Burnham.  While a senior in high school, Jordan had everything to live for.  However, Jordan attempted to take his own life by jumping from 9^th story window.  Miraculously, Jordan survived.  Today he shares his story in an effort to educate teens and young adults about depression, suicide, and recovery.  This event is brought to you by Active Minds at CSS and the Miller-Dwan Foundation.  Admission is free, but a free-will donation is encouraged.  All proceeds will benefit the Miller-Dwan Foundation’s Turning Point Campaign.

Plan to attend A Warm Yellow Light, a benefit in memory of Luke Hylden on Saturday at 9 p.m. at Pizza Luce.  The event will include live music, pizza, and great prizes. It costs just $5 for students and $10 for adults. All proceeds will be directed to the Foundation’s “Turning Point” campaign for child and adolescent mental health. This is a wonderful opportunity to honor a young man who touched so many lives and to support the Foundation in their efforts to build a new mental health center for the kids of our region. See you there!

Our first ever Women Leading Change, High Heels and High Expectations event was a hit. The Zeitgeist Arts Café and the Zinema theatre proved to be the perfect location to gather area women to eat, drink, socialize and learn. Ninety women attended this first time event, and Dr. Read Sulik provided enlightening information about the importance of detecting depression, anxiety and ADHD in children, and seeking treatment. He eluded to the need for a child and adolescent mental health facility that Miller-Dwan Foundation plans to build with it’s $5 million Turning Point capital campaign. He has seen first hand the success of a place such as this, with the Clara’s House project he led in St. Cloud Minnesota. Clara’s House has not only brought in 4 additional child psychiatrists to the St. Cloud area, but it has significantly reduced the negative stigma attached to mental illness. It’s clear by the statistics that we need a place like this in the Duluth area, and if you ask any of the women who attended the event, I’m sure they would agree.

On Thursday, March 18th we will kick off our first event in our Women Leading Change, High Heels and High Expectations initiative. Women have the power to drive change, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. This imitative is about gathering women together to wrap their arms around pressing community issues, and advocate for positive change. Our first project, to build a bold vision for mental health care that will provide our young people and their families a warm, home-like place to find the right care, at the right time.

Join other ambitious, intelligent and inspiring area women. From 5pm – 6pm enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in the Zeitgeist Arts Café atrium, then at 6pm we’ll move down to the Zinema theater to hear nationally known child/adolescent psychiatrist L. Read Sulik MD speak about his role in creating Clara’s House in St. Cloud, and why our region is in such a desperate need for change regarding children’s mental health care.

Space is limited. RSVP by March 10th. Call 218-786-5829 or click here.

**Flat Shoes Welcome

About Dr. Sulik:
Dr. Sulik is currently the Assistant Commissioner of Chemical and Mental Health Services for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He is a dynamic and nationally known pediatrician, child & adolescent psychiatrist and adult psychiatrist who speaks extensively promoting mental wellness in children and adolescents. He was pivotal in the opening of Clara’s House, a unique child and adolescent mental health care facility in St. Cloud Minnesota, and is thrilled about the Miller-Dwan Foundation’s vision to build a similar space.
Did you know…
Two thirds of the state’s teen deaths by suicide occur in greater Minnesota, where only one third of the state’s teens live?
Here in the Northland, we are losing an average of 2 kids every month to suicide or drug overdose.
This is unacceptable, and we challenge you to help us change these statistics.

We have some exciting news to share regarding the Turning Point campaign for children’s mental health. Many may know that we are in the midst of raising $5 million to build an outpatient mental health facility for children, teens and young adults. We were very much hoping we could build this center on land we already own, on the corner of Rice Lake Road and Pecan Avenue in Duluth. But first, a re-zoning request had to be approved. In addition, we needed to purchase a small amount of additional land from the City of Duluth in order to build a drive-way to the new center. Low and behold, both requests received a unanimous vote from the planning commission and the City Council this week! Councilors were actually thanking us for working to bring such a much needed service to this community. We can’t thank them enough for understanding the dire need for this project. We are also thankful for all our supporters who attended the meetings. One more hurdle completed. Now, on to continuing to raise that $5 million.

One could only hope that if our founders Mary C. Dwan and Andreas Mitchell Miller were alive today, they would be as proud of this beautiful new website as we are. Welcome to our new and improved site! We still have a few kinks to work out, but are certain your experience here will be simple, informative and enjoyable. Spend some time here, and stop back often; we’ll continuously be updating you on the latest and greatest of Foundation activities, including our Turning Point campaign to build a child and adolescent mental health facility. We’re $2.2 million into the campaign with a goal of $5 million. Learn more about this project here. Plus, we’ll update you about the Solvay Hospice House, Caring Ways Cancer Resource Center, grant awards and deadlines, ARTcetera, other special events, and much more.

We have so much to share and are so grateful for this new outlet to do so. It’s important to keep the community that has generously supported us for so many years up to date and informed on the work we are doing granting the wishes of donors while creating a healthier region for everyone to live and work.