Burke Award Dinner Breaks Fundraising Records

550 community and business leaders from the tristate area helped raise more than $1 million dollars for Burke Rehabilitation at its annual Burke Award Dinner held Thursday, June 8th at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY.

This year’s Burke Award Honorees, Suzanne and Craig Packer, exhibit courage, strength and resilience after experiencing a life altering event. Both Mr. and Mrs. Packer are leaders who serve others and offer their expertise to organizations in their community and beyond. Suzanne Packer has served on the Board of Directors of the Greenwich Red Cross for more than two decades organizing fundraising events and hurricane relief missions throughout the United States. Craig Packer is Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director of Blue Owl, a publicly-traded alternative asset manager. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Greenwich Academy and is Co-Chair of the Honorary Board of Kids in Crisis, a non-profit organization assisting children in Connecticut.

The annual dinner is Burke’s premier fundraiser. The Burke Award recognizes an individual or group of individuals whose contributions to the field of rehabilitative medicine deserve the highest honor bestowed by the Burke Board of Trustees.

Proceeds from the Burke Award will support Burke’s outstanding rehabilitative services and the newly established Suzanne and Craig Packer Safely Home Fund. This crucial patient assistance fund assures that financial need is never a roadblock to successful rehabilitation and a safe transition home and back into the community.

“We are grateful to all the sponsors and supporters of the 2023 Burke Award,” said Burke Executive Director Scott Edelman, MBA, CPA, CFE. “Our team of rehabilitation specialists is committed to providing patients, families and caregivers with an exceptional experience. Burke represents hope and getting each patient back to maximum recovery.”

At the dinner, the Board also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to retired Burke Board Chairman John R. McCarthy acknowledging his 15 years of Board service. Burke is providing a lasting tribute to Mr. McCarthy by creating The McCarthy Family Meditation Garden on Burke’s White Plains campus. The garden will provide peace and tranquility for patients, visitors and staff. A rendering was unveiled during the Burke Award dinner.

Julie Grace Burke, Chair of the Burke Board of Trustees Development Committee and Burke Award Dinner Committee said, “It is an honor for me to represent the Burke Board of Trustees and recognize Craig and Suzanne Packer and John McCarthy. The Packers exhibit all that the Burke Award represents, and we are grateful to them for their extraordinary support and commitment. I personally would like to thank John McCarthy for his dedication and his friendship over the years. We will continue his legacy leading Burke forward into the future.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.burke.org/giving/events/burke-award/

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About Burke Rehabilitation

Burke Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit healthcare organization devoted solely to acute physical rehabilitation. Its main campus is located in White Plains, NY. Founded in 1915 through an endowment from philanthropist John Masterson Burke, it has been a member of the Montefiore Health System since 2016. Burke operates the only hospital in Westchester County dedicated solely to adult and adolescent rehabilitation medicine. Burke also offers therapeutic care in locations throughout Westchester County, the Hudson Valley and the Bronx for those who have experienced injuries, surgery, or chronic conditions, from the simple to the very complex. For additional information, please visit www.burke.org.