Welcome to HealthFinders' 2023 spring gala and film festival – Lights, Camera...& ACTION!

Our spring gala is a movie in the making, starring HealthFinders' supporters, donors and communities. Guests walk the red carpet and experience the exciting atmosphere of a film festival. Beautiful food, fun and games, film shorts, a Walk of Fame and live + silent auctions all make it a night to remember. Leading up to April 22, we're hosting a mini film festival and panel discussion every week until the gala. We can't wait to see you at the Gala! BUY TICKETS AND LEARN MORE

APRIL 5 – Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness  |  5:30-8:00pm  |  Imminent Brewing, 519 Division St. S., Northfield | Sponsored by South Country Health AllianceHiding in Plain Sight presents an unvarnished window into daily life with mental health challenges, from seemingly insurmountable obstacles to stories of hope and resilience. Through the experiences of these young people, the film confronts the issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness, and silence, and, in doing so, helps advance a shift in the public perception of mental health issues today.

MODERATOR:

1. Steve Underdahl, President and CEO, Northfield Hospital and Clinics

PANELISTS:

1. Kelli Nowak, MA, LPCC, HealthFinders Mental Health Therapist

2. Lee Zuniga, LADC, HealthFinders Licensed Alcohol Drug Counselor

3. Jennifer Toth, LSW, Licensed Social Worker at CAC, Northfield ALC and Northfield Union of Youth/the Key

4. Emily Fulton-Foley, Senior Director of Operations at College Possible and former Executive Director at Northfield Union of Youth/the Key

5. Ashley Gardner, Certified peer recovery specialist working at the CAC as a recovery advocate

SATURDAY APRIL 15 – Jacaylka Hooyada (A Mother's Love) and A Cry for Help | 5:30-7:30pm | Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, 1201 Division St., FaribaultA Mothers Love is an interview style short documentary that is about Abdirahman Warsame’s mother, Deqa Hussen, who talks about the struggles she faced while Abdirahman dealt with his addiction (in Somali). A Cry for Help by Abdirahman Warsame is a fictional poetic monologue between an addict and god inspired by true events in Abdirahman's life.

PANELISTS:

1. Abdirahman Warsame, Generation Hope

2. Yussuf Shafie, LADC, MSW, LICSW, Alliance Wellness Center

3. Lee Zuniga, LADC, HealthFinders Licensed Alcohol Drug Counselor

4. Ashley Gardner, Certified peer recovery specialist working at the CAC as a recovery advocate

APRIL 19 – Ways of Being Home by Cecilia Cornejo | 6:00-8:30pm | Steele County History Center, 1700 Austin Road, OwatonnaWays of Being Home is an  intimate cinematic portrait of two small towns–one in Mexico and one in Minnesota–is an evocative audiovisual meditation on the experience of Mexican immigrants living and working in rural America.

MODERATOR:

1. Charlie Mandile, Executive Director, HealthFinders Collaborative

PANELISTS:

1. Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo, Interdisciplinary artist, filmmaker, educator

2. George Zuccolotto, Northfield City Council representative for the Third Ward