Ben E. Keith supports Maggie’s mission

By Rachel Zadnick

The Magdalen House announced Ben E. Keith Foundation Trust as the presenting sponsor of the Leave a Legacy Dinner: An Evening with Elizabeth Vargas, on the evening of Oct. 11.

The Leave a Legacy gala, now in its second year, is an annual event to raise funds for The Magdalen House — an alcohol treatment program and thriving recovery community for alcoholic women and their families. Contributions and participation in the Leave a Legacy Dinner directly benefit thousands of women who participate in the 31-year organization’s free, comprehensive programming.

“I’m so happy to be working with [Maggie’s House],” said Louise Hallam Collins, marketing manager of the Ben E. Keith Foundation Trust. “I’m impressed with the program for women and the sense of community it provides,” she said. “It’s essential to continue to grow and provide [these resources] for more women,” Collins said.

As an award-winning news anchor and field correspondent, Elizabeth Vargas (pictured above) has traveled the world covering breaking news and conducting in-depth investigations with groundbreaking interviews. Best known for her 14 years as co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20” with David Muir, The New York Times has credited Vargas with reinvigorating the news magazine format with her “intellectually brave” reporting.

Vargas’s memoir Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction was released in conjunction with a special episode of “20/20,” in which Vargas and Diane Sawyer discussed her experiences, explored the link between anxiety and alcohol abuse, and interviewed experts as well as people recovering from addiction.

“More than 108,000 women are alcohol-dependent in the Dallas County area,” said Lisa Kroencke, executive director of The Magdalen House.

“We believe that our no-cost treatment program, provided in a safe and supportive environment, with accurate information about the problem and the solution, will help women recover from alcoholism,” she said.

“Vargas’s commitment to advocating for women, as well as her experience and understanding of alcoholism, qualifies her to empower countless Dallas women,” Kroencke said. “Her message is consistent with our mission, and spreads hope to alcoholic women and their families,” Kroencke added.

“We believe that helping other women builds a bridge of service and support, and we invite the entire Dallas community to join this fight by participating in our 31st Anniversary Celebration,” she said.

Tickets for the event and sponsorship options are now available by calling 214-764-0793 or visiting the website magdalenhouse.org.