Neighbor News
SIBSPlace Celebrates 25 Years of Service at Its Silver Ball Anniversary Gala
Event Honors Founding Leaders and Highlights Two and a Half Decades of Impact on Long Island Families
SIBSPlace (Survivorship in Brothers and Sisters), the Rockville Centre based nonprofit that provides free, preventative mental health and supportive services to children and families across Long Island, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with its Silver Ball Gala Dinner and Auction at the Seawane Club in Hewlett.
The milestone gala brought together more than 200 guests and elected officials, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Legislator Scott Davis, Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Missy Miller and New York State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin. The evening honored the founders, early sponsors and the many families whose support have shaped SIBSPlace over the past 25 years.
This year’s celebration recognized two longtime champions of the organization. Arlene Basner, a founding donor family member and former Board President, was honored for her decades of unwavering commitment. Since 2000, Arlene and her husband Norman have played a pivotal role in supporting the organization’s growth.
Suzanne Kornblatt, Licensed Social Worker and retired Executive Director, received the Helene Wrenn Memorial Award. During her leadership, Suzanne transformed SIBSPlace’s programming by building its expressive arts therapeutic curriculum, expanding services to children coping with a parent’s illness and establishing parent support and bereavement groups.
The evening featured a commemorative twenty-five-year timeline installation and a documentary video. The video highlighted the program’s evolution and participation from alumni and former SIBS Kids, including two current Board Members who experienced the program as children. Their involvement demonstrated the full circle legacy of SIBSPlace. Children once supported by the program now return as volunteers and community leaders.
“The Silver Ball Gala was a meaningful and important gathering that recognized the challenges faced by the children and families we serve and the impact SIBSPlace has made. Seeing our alumni return as young professionals and dedicated volunteers exhibits the lasting strength of our mission. The generosity of those attending the event has allowed us to expand and go from serving a small number of children and families to hundreds each year. We continue to provide free year-round expressive arts mental health services, summer programming, support groups and daily guidance for families and facing the trauma of illness or loss,” said Joanna Formont, LMHC, Executive Director of SIBSPlace.
“SIBSPlace has become a second home for families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. As SIBSPlace Vice President of the Board of Directors and local community member, I have seen firsthand how powerful this support can be. To watch alumni come back as volunteers, Board Members and role models for the next generation is a testament to the strength and heart of this organization,” said Mark Baron, Vice President of the Board of Directors.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit https://sibsplace.org/donate.html.
ABOUT SIBSPLACE
SIBSPlace, an affiliate of Mount Sinai South Nassau provides free comprehensive mental health and supportive services for children ages five through seventeen who have a sibling or parent with cancer or another life-threatening illness or who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The program offers expressive arts therapy, peer group support, family guidance and year-round programming designed to build resilience reduce anxiety and help children process trauma in a safe and nurturing environment. SIBSPlace is committed to ensuring that no child must cope alone and continues to serve hundreds of families each year across Nassau County and the surrounding region. https://sibsplace.org/donate.html.
