Beebe Healthcare held its third annual Go Purple Fund guest bartender event at The Starboard in Dewey Beach Thursday Sept. 28. The event raises funds for awareness, education, prevention and recovery efforts related to the opioid epidemic in Sussex County.
Beebe Healthcare's Go Purple Fund event was started three years ago by the young professionals group of Beebe Medical Foundation. The lead organizers of the event are Amy Keller, Sean Flanigan and Justen Albright.
“They identified opioid addiction as their cause and chose to raise funds for it,” said Tom Protack, Beebe Medical Foundation president. “At that time, we were dreaming about a mobile health clinic and unit that would go out into the areas of the county that don’t have access to healthcare, and especially mental health and wellness. The dream is now a reality. We have a mobile health unit clinic and we are in the process of raising funds for another one. The event has grown to be more of a digital online social media event. Over 95% of the fundraising is done by donors and supporters who do not even attend the physical event. This year it really ran true that over $100,000 was raised digitally online before the event at the Starboard.