Zero Proof Soirée & Battle of the Mocktails Supports Alcohol Awareness Month, Raises Funds to Support Samaritan Inns’ Mission

Media Contact:

Cyndi Sutton

JR Communications for Samaritan Inns

cyndisutton@yahoo.com

571-213-0401

Inaugural event supports residential treatment and addiction recovery services for

at-risk D.C. men, women, and women with children

[from left to right] Chuck Todd, Moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” and Zero Proof Soirée & Battle of the Mocktails special guest; Lauren C. Vaughan, president and CEO, Samaritan Inns; Leon Harris, News4 anchor and event emcee; Jim Davis, president and CEO of Davis Construction, event chair and board member for Samaritan Inns

Washington, D.C. [April 14, 2023] – On Wednesday, April 12, Samaritan Inns hosted its inaugural Zero Proof Soirée & Battle of the Mocktails at The Capital Turnaround in Washington, DC The event was held in honor of Alcohol Awareness Month (April) to bring awareness to the struggles of addiction and raise funds to support Samaritan Inns’ mission of providing residential addiction treatment and recovery services to homeless and at-risk men, women, and women with children who suffer from drug and alcohol addictions. More than 200 members of the DC community attended the event, which raised nearly $100,000.

“We are grateful to the community for coming out to support our first-ever fundraiser during Alcohol Awareness Month,” said Lauren C. Vaughan, president and CEO of Samaritan Inns. “We restore hope for people in DC who are inflicted by homelessness and addiction and, sadly, the need for our services is especially great after the pandemic. On the bright side, the challenges created or exacerbated by the pandemic didn’t stop us. We’re proud to have remained open and operational, as well as continued to grow and expand our services to meet the needs of our community.”

The inspiring story of Martelis Thomas, a building manager with Samaritan Inns for more than 20 years, and in his 28th year of recovery thanks to the support of Samaritan Inns, was shared through a short video at the Zero Proof event.

[from left to right] Chuck Todd, Moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” and Zero Proof Soirée & Battle of the Mocktails special guest; Lauren C. Vaughan, president and CEO for Samaritan Inns; Martelis Thomas, building manager for Samaritan Inns, whose recovery story was shared at the event; and Leon Harris, News4 Anchor and event emcee.

For the event’s Battle of the Mocktails, mixologists from eight popular DC area restaurants and bars created their signature mocktail (non-alcoholic drinks) to compete for the Best Mocktail in DC where the audience was the judge and NBC4’s Leon Harris was the emcee. The mixologists receiving the most Battle of the Mocktails votes were JR Rena from Dirty Habit DC (winner); Solomon Paul from Get Plated (second place); and Brienne Francois from Maryland Live Casino (third place).

The winning mocktail created by Dirty Habit DC’s JR Rena was called Fictitious Friend and it contained shiso shrub, yuzu, pomegranate, cardamom, and soda.

[from left to right] Lauren C. Vaughan, president and CEO for Samaritan Inns; JR Rena, mixologist at Dirty Habit DC and winner of Battle of the Mocktails; and Leon Harris, NBC4 anchor and emcee for Zero Proof Soirée and Battle of the Mocktails.

Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” joined as a special guest for the evening and delivered remarks at the event. Seeking greater involvement with local nonprofits, Todd began prepping meals with Samaritan Inns many years ago and was inspired deeply by the organization’s mission.

“DC Goes Tiki” was the evening’s theme, so all beverages and passed hors d’oeuvres had a Polynesian flare.

Premier sponsors for the Zero Proof Soirée at the Gold-level included Clark Construction, Davis Construction and Rich and Nancy Tucker. Silver-level supporters included The Anderson Company, Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, Marjorie and John Connell, Destination DC, Horizon Government Affairs, Christine and Steffen Johnson, The Rehancement Group, and Redbrick.

ABOUT SAMARITAN INNS

For almost 40 years, Samaritan Inns has helped Washington, D.C. residents overcome their addictions and homelessness. Its programs have supported thousands of men and women break the cycle of addiction and homelessness and reclaim their lives. For more information, visit www.samaritaninns.org. Follow Samaritan Inns on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.