Big Hearts Among Them

A record crowd of 215 guests turned out for the 8th annual Heart of New House lunch at the Hilton, raising around $150,000 for the popular nonprofit which has helped men with drug and alcohol problems for the past 69 years.

The organization, which has an annual budget of $1.2 million, has three homes in our Eden by the Beach with a total of 98 beds and last year awarded $110,066 in scholarships to help people on the road to recovery.

Hero awards went to David Stengel and Grant Dillon, while the 8th annual Heart of New House Award was presented to Darren Phillips, who has supported the charity for nearly 20 years, helping thousands of men in early recovery.

Ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri emceed the bustling bash with guests including Councilor Oscar Gutierrez, Executive Director Adam Burridge, and Wendy Goodenow, sister of the late Executive Director Gordon Guy, who flew in from her home in Hawaii.