Event Recap: An Evening of Lens & Light, October 16, 2025
For the eighth consecutive year patrons, supporters, friends and family gathered for the GPF Foundation’s 8th Annual Event, our principal fundraiser and overview of the year's progress. Nancy and Ross Friedman, Board Treasurer and President, respectively, started the evening with a brief overview of accomplishments over the last 12 months, including:
Publication in a leading medical journal of a ground-breaking article on the effectiveness of harm reduction to protect children from the impact of deadly fentanyl adulteration.
A milestone in the Foundation’s ongoing Intern and Medical Fellow enrollment.
A promising development on the potential for drug testing in conjunction with the Lake County Police Chiefs Association.
The soft launch of Blind Spot, an educational video game developed with GPF Foundation funding, by a cohort of college students.
The GPF Foundation presents an award annually to recognize significant contributions to reducing the harm caused by recreational drugs. In 2025 the Foundation honored Lake Forest College with the Harm Reduction Award. In accepting the award on behalf of the college, President Michael Sosulski, Ph.D., expressed gratitude for its enduring partnership with the Foundation.
Keynote speaker, Diane Quon, an Oscar nominated and award-winning film documentarian, engaged in a lively discussion with Jill Carter on the importance of storytelling to effect positive change. Diane noted how the work of the GPF Foundation has reduced the fentanyl death rate.
GPF Foundation Medical Fellow Kaitlyn Shelley told a hushed audience about witnessing drug overdose experiences, whether in her small-town high school or attending the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. It’s those events that inspired Kaitlin to join the Foundation to conduct harm reduction training that helps save lives.