For nearly 50 years, the organization has walked alongside individuals, families and their care partners from the first signs of cognitive change through the final chapter of care. CaringKind has provided expert guidance, education, and direct support, all at no cost. The Forget-Me-Not Gala has been the engine behind that work for thirty years, funding free programs that reach people where they are, to ensure that they feel less alone.
Jane Seymour received the Connect2Hope Award in recognition of her sustained and deeply personal work. Her foundation, Open Hearts, is inspired by her mother, Mieke Frankenberg, and has supported more than sixty charitable organizations. Beyond philanthropy, Seymour has placed her artistry in direct service of this cause. She served as executive producer on Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me and starred in Ruby's Choice, two projects that greatly humanized the disease for the public and honestly portrayed the realities of the diagnosis. She has spoken without filter about what dementia costs the people who love those with the diagnosis. She has spoken to exactly the audience in this room and has been doing it for years.
Returning as Master of Ceremonies was David Hyde Pierce (Frasier), known to CaringKind as one of its most enduring champions. For years, Hyde Pierce has lent his voice, his platform, and his public presence to CaringKind's broader mission, raising awareness, supporting outreach, and standing alongside the organization in sustained work of advocacy. His commitment is rooted in personal experience, as his own family lived with this disease, and that reality has informed a partnership with CaringKind that is as consistent as it is genuine. He returned to the Gala as a longtime ally who has chosen, year after year, to show up for the families this organization serves.
"This night is proof of what thirty years of showing up looks like," said Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh, President and CEO of CaringKind. "Jane Seymour and Jeffrey Jones each embody what this gala has always stood for, the conviction that compassion is not passive, and that every person living with dementia, and every family walking alongside them, deserves to be seen, supported, and met with dignity. We are proud and humbled to honor them both."
The evening began with a cocktail reception featuring brain-healthy foods curated in collaboration with Magnolia 'Meals at Home' and Eisai. This partnership gave guests a firsthand taste of the nutritional resources and meal strategies that Magnolia 'Meals at Home' provides to individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their care partners. The collaboration between CaringKind and Eisai reflects a shared belief: that living well with dementia requires support that reaches into every dimension of daily life, including the kitchen table. The evening continued with dinner and a live auction led by acclaimed auctioneer Jamie McDonald and concluded with live music and dancing at an after party.
"CaringKind has been a longstanding support system for those with dementia and their caregivers, and I am so proud to be receiving this award from such an important and influential organization," said Jane Seymour. "The services provided by CaringKind make a profound impact on the lives of those affected by this diagnosis, and it is important that we continue to support their efforts and make these programs possible for years to come."
"The Forget-Me-Not Gala is a night to recognize and celebrate the crucial work being done by CaringKind," said David Hyde Pierce. "The job of a caretaker is one that sometimes requires support, and CaringKind is guaranteed to be there for those who need them."
The urgency behind this evening cannot be overstated. Today, 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, a number projected to reach nearly 13 million by 2050. More than 12 million family members and unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 19.6 billion hours of care in 2025, valued at $446.3 billion, often at immeasurable personal cost. One in three older adults dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia, more deaths than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. CaringKind served more than 21,000 individuals and families last year, and not one of them paid a cent.
This is what the 30th Anniversary Forget-Me-Not Gala makes possible. This is what thirty more years must look like. Care that begins on day one and never stops.
The evening received amazing support from sponsors, including the Legacy sponsor Elaine Thomas and Joseph Healey, the Trailblazer sponsors Eisai Inc. and KPMG Foundation, and the Innovator sponsors Sandra Baron and Gregory Diskant, Gayatri Devi, MD, MS, FACP, FAAN, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Kathy Ferguson and Mark Zurack, Blueme – Smell the Zen, Linda LaGorga, CAIPA Foundation and Tim and Jeff Walsh. Additional support was provided by the Impact sponsors Steven Boxer and Michelle Walker, Pam and Jon Henes, UsAgainstAlzheimer's, The Brachfeld Family, Anne Kenny, Thomas Wolzien, Capital V, Sharon Kilmer, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Jane Dystel, LifeWorx Concierge Care, The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights, Jeffrey Jones, Todd Matlovsky and Seniorverse. Premier sponsors included Acadia Pharmaceuticals, The Jones Family, Schneps Media, Axsome, Kirkland, The Shami Family, Rachel Berk and Bruce Birns, KiwiTech, The Tornatore-Mikesh Family, Betty Brennan, The Kensington White Plains, The 80th Street Residence Enhanced Memory Care, Bristol Myers Squibb, LCB Senior Living, United Federation of Teachers, Frank E. Campbell-The Funeral Chapel, Lilly, Nimesh and Sandhya Udeshi, Michael Ferik, Maplewood Senior Living, Thomas and Bonnie Uger, Coterie Hudson Yards, Barbara Marcus and Michael Pollack, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, HealthSense, Alan Patricof and Barbara Guggenheim, Inspir Carnegie Hill and Maplewood and Renewal Memory Care. Peapack Private was the VIP Cocktail sponsor, Purist was the Media Partner, Schneps Media AMNY was the media sponsor, and florals were provided by Meghann Smith.
ABOUT CARINGKIND
CaringKind is a national leader in Alzheimer's and dementia caregiving, rooted in nearly 50 years of direct service to individuals living with dementia and the families who care for them. CaringKind provides a comprehensive suite of free programs and services, including a 24-hour Helpline, licensed social work consultations, support groups, professional caregiver training, early-stage engagement programs, workforce development, and the MedicAlert® NYC Wanderer's Safety Program, ensuring that expert, compassionate support is accessible to every individual, family and care partner, at every stage, at no cost.
No one faces dementia alone. wearecaringkind.org | 646-744-2900
ABOUT THE FORGET-ME-NOT GALA
The Forget-Me-Not Gala is CaringKind's signature annual fundraising event, now in its 30th year. Each June, the Gala unites New York's philanthropic, civic, and cultural communities to fund the free programs and services CaringKind provides. The Gala's 30-year milestone is distinct from CaringKind's nearly 50 years of organizational history - together, they represent an unbroken commitment to the family's dementia touches.
ckgala.org
MEDIA CONTACT
Courtney Dawson | Chief Marketing Officer, CaringKind
[email protected]
Lauren Kucerak | Kucerak & Co.
[email protected]
SOURCE CaringKind
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