HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — On Saturday evening, 8News joined the 6th annual “A Night for Scott: Life Of The Mardi” fundraiser, which gave guests a night to remember while raising money for local addiction treatment centers and community outreach programs.
“A Night for Scott” is the biggest annual fundraiser for “2 End the Stigma,” a Chesterfield-based organization that connects people struggling with addiction to community resources. “2 End the Stigma” was founded by Jill Zebrowski Cichowicz after her twin brother Scott Zebrowski died of fentanyl poisoning in 2017.
Guests who attended the event at the Short Pump Hilton on Saturday evening had the chance to enjoy a “Mardi Gras style” celebration that included a cocktail hour, casino tables and auctions where attendees could bid on everything from free pizza for a year from Marco’s Pizza to a week-long stay at a luxury house along Lake Anna to a golden doodle puppy named Scott.
Guests were also encouraged to don their best masquerade masks and costumes and compete for the “Best Outfit” prize.
8News’ own Deanna Allbrittin was a special guest at Saturday’s event. She was joined by Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard and keynote speaker Libbie Roberts, who is in recovery from substance abuse.
“We want people to know that no matter how dark things may be right now with their loved ones, they can change. We can recover,” Roberts said.
The funds raised from the night’s festivities benefited local recovery organizations and education programs.
The first “A Night for Scott” raised more than $28,000 for the the Scott Zebrowski Scholarship Fund in partnership with the The McShin Foundation, a Richmond-based addiction treatment center. “A Night For Scott” was voted The Best Charity Event in Richmond in 2019 and 2020 and first runner-up in 2021 and 2022.
