Hession Foundation to hold inaugural Unmasking Hope Gala in Vernon

The Hession Foundation will host its inaugural Unmasking Hope Gala on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Red Tail Lodge at Mountain Creek Resort.

Founded by Vernon natives Joe and Patrick Hession, owners of Mountain Creek and founders of SNOW Partners, the foundation supports efforts to expand access to prevention, recovery, mental wellness and youth initiatives in Sussex County and surrounding communities.

The gala will bring together local business leaders, community partners and supporters for an evening benefiting the foundation’s work.

“My brother Patrick and I started the Hession Foundation to honor our father, a recovering alcoholic who is now 47 years sober and spent his career helping others as a drug and alcohol counselor,” Joe Hession, CEO of SNOW Partners, said.

The event will honor Chester Patterson, chief revenue officer and founding partner of Boulder Risk Associates Inc. Patterson, who is celebrating nine years of sobriety, has focused on mentoring and supporting people recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

“Living a sober life is a daily gift that fills me with immense gratitude,” Patterson said. “To be honored by the Hession Foundation is a humbling reminder that our deepest struggles can become our greatest tools to help, guide, and inspire others.”

The gala also will highlight local prevention organizations and programs supported by the foundation, including Vernon PAL and the Center for Prevention & Counseling.

The Hession Foundation was founded in 2021 by SNOW Partners in honor of Joe and Patrick Hession’s father, Joseph P. Hession. A recovering alcoholic who has been sober for 47 years, Joseph Hession worked as a drug and alcohol counselor and was named New York State Counselor of the Year in 2000.