Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness receives $75,000 anonymous gift

RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2007) — The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness has received an anonymous gift in the amount of $75,000 to be used primarily for bipolar research, as well as to raise community awareness to help eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness.

“The foundation is thrilled and honored to receive this generous gift,” said Sarah Wesley Fox, chair of the Foundation of Hope board of trustees. “Our ongoing commitment to research for possible cures for the various forms of mental disorders, including bipolar disorder, is strengthened through such compassionate and committed donors, such as this donor, who understands and supports our efforts and the suffering experienced by individuals with psychiatric disorders.”

Following an application and grant approval process, the funds will be distributed locally to organizations that match the Foundation of Hope’s mission to promote scientific research aimed at discovering the causes and potential cures for mental illness in order to develop a more effective means of treatment. Over the years the foundation has funded 96 grants totaling more than $2.5 million.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 5.7 million Americans have bipolar disorder. A study published in the September 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry indicated that diagnoses of bipolar disorder among adults nearly doubled between 1994 and 2003. The report also estimated that diagnoses of bipolar disorder among youth skyrocketed, from 25 to 1,003 per every 100,000 youth, during the same time frame.

“This generous donation to the foundation is particularly wonderful and timely,” said Foundation Trustee David R. Rubinow, M.D., Meymandi distinguished professor and chair of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine. “Research in bipolar disorder is now poised to identify not only the mediating brain systems and predictors of susceptibility to this devastating illness, but as well the molecular targets for new medications that will reduce the incalculable suffering experienced by patients with bipolar disorder and their families.”

The Foundation of Hope is able to award grants due to year-round donations and, in large part, to monies raised during its annual fundraiser, the Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope, which is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 14. Currently more than 1,400 walkers are registered to participate in the 19th annual event, and contributions have been collected from 35 states and five countries.

To learn more about the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness, or the research it funds, visit www.walkforhope.com or call Bebee Bason Lee, executive director of the Foundation of Hope, at (919) 781-9255.

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About the Foundation of Hope
Founded in 1984, the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness is a nonprofit philanthropic organization dedicated to funding breakthroughs in the treatment of mental illness. The Walk for Hope is the foundation’s only annual fundraiser and the country’s only annual community walk that raises funds for the research and treatment of mental illness. Since 1988, the Walk for Hope has funded more than $2.5 million in local research projects and treatment programs, and has leveraged an additional $100 million for local research through federal grants from national health organizations. To learn more about the Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope or the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness, visit www.walkforhope.com.