An Evening Of Illusion Supports GPF Foundation
An Evening Of Illusion is the GPF Foundation's second event to raise funds and raise awareness in its battle against the health threats associated with the recreational drug use of MDMA, which is more commonly known as ecstasy or molly. Established last year in memory of Gregory Paul Friedman, the GPF Foundation is committed to saving lives by supporting education, appropriate treatment and overall awareness of the dangers relating to recreational drug use.
The evening gala will feature illusionist Dan White, the star of New York's critically acclaimed show "The Magician at the Nomad." White has created magic, mystery and illusion on the stage and screen around the world, performing regularly for sold-out shows. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair, and he has appeared on The Discovery Channel and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
An Evening Of Illusion is Saturday, October 19, at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest, Illinois. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails and dinner.
The October event marks a continuation of the effort to acquaint the community-at-large with the Foundation's mission and to advance the programmatic initiatives being undertaken to prevent further deaths like Greg Friedman's from occurring. Since its introductory launch event last year, the GPF Foundation has worked to transform its early-stage ambitions into concrete action plans. This year's event will highlight specific programs in the development and implementation stages.
In addition to highlighting programmatic advancements, the GPF Foundation remains committed to addressing the new and dangerous reality that underlies Greg's untimely death. At the age of 27, Greg's life was tragically cut short after taking spontaneously taking ecstasy provided by a friend before a concert. His story is unfortunately not unique and represents a rising epidemic that caused over 10,000 deaths in 2017 alone.
The infrequent or "experimental" use of ecstasy and other club scene drugs by teens and young adults means they are unfamiliar and unexposed to the widespread practice of adulteration and substitution of these drugs. Greg's death was directly related to this lack of awareness, which also includes a deficit in understanding within the medical community from which he sought help. The mission of the Foundation speaks directly to the urgency of saving lives through creating awareness of this reality.
Greg Friedman was well-known within the Lake Forest community where he grew up. A talented artist, a karate national champion with a passion for learning, Greg was a young man in the prime of his life whose full potential was first being realized. In recognition of Greg's deep ties to this area, the October 19th event is being held in Lake Forest.
Event tickets to supporters are being offered at $250 each. Additional information on the GPF Foundation and ticket registration An Evening Of Illusion may be found at https://www.gpffoundation.org.