Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation to host annual social mixer

Raffles, games, great music and food are some of the highlights of an upcoming social mixer hosted by the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention this weekend.

The Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation will be hosting its fifth annual social mixer for suicide prevention and mental health awareness this Saturday, Aug. 1, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Casino Cafe in Davis Park. This year, the foundation will be honoring Fish Store owner Seth Needelman with the foundation’s Force for Good Award.

Activities for all ages will be on offer, including a free youth beach bash for kids and over 30 raffle baskets that feature products and experiences like a wine tour for eight people.

The foundation, which was formed by the Coluccio family shortly after their son Christopher died by suicide at 14 years old in 2021, raises thousands of dollars annually through events like its annual social mixer, which is given back to the community through scholarships and emotional support resources.

“It really helps us support our cause of working in the background to give resources to families and our community that need that need help with help with their kids that are struggling,” said Chris Colluccio, father of Christopher A. Coluccio.

Thanks to their fundraising, the foundation was able to provide 22 scholarships worth around $18,000 total to local graduating seniors this year. And behind the scenes, the foundation connects those in need with local therapy groups that best fit their specific circumstances and pays for the first three sessions.

For the last five years, the foundation has hosted its social mixer annually at Davis Park, a community that has warmly embraced the Coluccio family and feels like a “home away from home,” according to Chris Coluccio.

The Fire Island community has been a summer hangout spot for the Coluccio family for decades, and after Christopher’s death, the community came together to donate a bench in his memory.

After attendees for this year’s social mixer hop off the 11:45 a.m. ferry from Patchogue, the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation will hold a remembrance ceremony in front of that bench while honoring Force for Good Award recipient Seth Needelman.

“From the first day that my son passed away, Seth and his Fish Store have been a supporter of our family and our organization,” Coluccio said. “The amount of food that they had for us, and the people that were at our house, from day one, was amazing… Anybody who knows him knows that he’s one of the most selfless people you’ve ever met in your entire life, and he’ll give you the shirt off his back and some baked clams, too, because that’s just how he is.”

Needelman said he’s humbled and shocked to have been chosen for such an award.

“I’m so impressed by what they do and what it stands for, and I’m super proud and honored to be a part of that,” Needelman said.

Along with supporting the Coluccios personally and through his store, Needelman said organizations like theirs are needed to help those needing mental health support.

“[Mental health] is something that needs to be talked about,” Needelman said. “Parents need to speak with their kids. I think that the pressures of society just have become a lot for young adults these days, and recognizing it is definitely smart.”

Tickets for the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation’s fifth annual Social Mixer for Suicide Prevention are on sale online for $70 and on the day of for $75. To learn more about the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation and its annual social mixer, visit christophercoluccio.org.