NEW YORK, April 25, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community will honor nationally syndicated radio talk show host and travel expert Stephanie Abrams at their 9th Annual Evening of Mercy gala cocktail reception that raises monies to fund scholarships, Mercy ministries and retirement needs of older sisters. The event takes place May 14th at the Yale Club in NYC. According to Sister Camille D'Arienzo, Abrams was selected to be honored for her compassionate attention to providing special travel experiences for abused, neglected and homeless children to inspiring destinations in order to broaden their view of the world, uplift their spirits, raise their horizons and assist them in setting valuable life goals. Others being honored include the Scognamillo family, owners of Patsy's Italian Restaurant in NYC, Sister Karen Schneider, RSM, MD, and Sister Mary Jo McGinley.
Since the mid-1990s, Stephanie Abrams' Travel Fairy Godmother mission has provided travel experiences for people she believes need to connect with special places in the world. These trips include: sending a couple to the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary; providing a trip for four people from California to NY so that one of the group members who was suffering from a lung disease could achieve his dream of visiting Niagara Falls, attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and witnessing the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Plaza; and sending a student and his parents for nine days to Scotland to commune with his ancestry after being denied entry to his high school dance because he was wearing a kilt. Abrams notes, "That young man needed to stand on Scottish soil, breathe Scottish air and be in a place where nobody was going to tell him he looked like a clown in his kilt! He needed to experience that connectivity to his family's past the way the rest of us need to breathe," Abrams explains. "I'm delighted that I can provide travel experiences that have positive effects on the quality of people's lives and have positive influences on their futures! Having the Sisters of Mercy honor me is extraordinary!"
Since meeting the founder of The Giving Tree Outreach Program in 2004, which rescues homeless children from the streets and assists needy children, Abrams has sent 22 young people, 6 to 19 years old, on trips with chaperones to California, New York, New England, and include 22 days touring Ireland. Abrams requests that each participant look for ways to make the world a better place so that future travelers will be positively touched by their contributions. "That assignment also helps them create valuable goals for themselves," Abrams explains.
For information and an invitation to join the festivities, contact Grace Finley at 718-622-5750 ext. 112.