Clay Pell shows selfless support for mental health
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| Clay & Michelle at the Shelter Harbor Inn, April 13 (photo by Will Collette) |
Clay Pell showed true depth of character this weekend in
support of National Alliance on Mental Illness RI (NAMI RI).
On
Saturday night, at the Rosario Society in Providence, close to 200 people
packed the hall to support NAMI RI at the non-profit, community-based mental
health support organization’s first annual “Pasta Gala” fundraiser.
As NAMI
RI’s newly recruited, pro-bono government relations coordinator and
communications consultant, I did my best to spread the word and, with a
fantastic collaborative effort amongst members of the Board, the event hall was
overbooked. And thank goodness for that. NAMI RI was recently written out of
the Governor’s FY 15 budget proposal. Without the funding from BHDDH, this
vital education, outreach, counseling and crisis response organization would
not be able to survive.
The
event was well publicized through social media, press release, letters and
emails of invitation and word of mouth. It was packed. Senator Frank Ciccone, a
stalwart ally from the beginning, was in attendance. Candidate for General
Treasurer, Seth Magaziner, was there too.
However,
it was Clay Pell, along with his effervescent wife, Michelle Kwan, who were
truly present in their support of NAMI RI.
I
had contacted Clay when seeking a public figure to say a few words during the
speaking program portion of the evening. There had, unfortunately, been some
miscommunication as to who would be securing a person of political influence to
fill that slot.
At an organizational meeting on the Monday prior to the event
all eyes fell on me and the question was asked, much to my surprise, “So, who
will be speaking?” Rather than stumble through an argument or make an excuse, I
did what any good consultant would and diverted by smiling and
confidently saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
And
I shuffled furiously through my i-rolodex. And I reached out to Clay Pell.
Within
hours I heard back from the man himself, saying he would very much like to
attend but, given the Easter holiday as well as other family obligations (the
passing of his grandmother, Nuala Pell) he would have to check with his
scheduler. And, yet, in spite of these very valid and personal concerns, Clay
followed up by asking what time he should appear, how long he should speak and
how many people were expected to attend?
Having
worked with a number of candidates for political office, I know the routine all
too well: make an appearance, shake as many hands as possible, pose for some
photo ops, hand out business cards and then make a quick exit to repeat the
process at the next event. But not Clay and Michelle. They spent time at the
door, engaging anyone who wished to speak with them. They perused the silent
auction and the raffle.
When he was called, Clay spoke briefly about the
organization and it’s importance and made mention of a close friend who had
struggled with mental illness. Instead of making a beeline for the exit after
the applause had dwindled, he sat back down next to Michelle and took his
wife’s hand while they both listened to the stories told by those affected
by mental illness.
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| Michelle, Clay and Ginger Glander at Shelter Harbor [photo by W. Collette] |
Given the amount of time I spend with candidates and elected
officials, such a moment felt surreal in its humanity. Clay wasn’t there for
himself. He wasn’t there for his campaign. Clay and Michelle were there for the
cause.
There was selflessness, vulnerability and a depth of humanity to Clay
Pell that, if it was only for show, deserves an Academy Award for a brilliant
performance. But I, for one, think it was absolutely genuine.
And,
in all likelihood, it is this very same depth of character and level of
humanity that is the gubernatorial candidate’s Achilles’ heel. Clay has taken a
bit of a beating with the press. Due to his reluctance to pander to local
media’s overwhelming appetite for a never ending feast of content, those in
media have seen fit to punish him by tongue-in-cheek coverage of his stolen
Prius. They have filled the void of no controversy with speculation and fluff.
One local, political opinion surmised that Pell had a very short time to
introduce himself to Rhode Island’s voters and earn their trust. I beg to
differ. I see Pell only having to avoid earning their distrust.
He
and Michelle stayed to the very end. On a holiday weekend, in the midst of the
Pell family (and the state) mourning the passing of his grandmother,
Nuala, he took the time to support and learn from a few hundred people fighting
to raise a few thousand dollars to keep from closing the doors of an
organization that saved their lives and gave them hope.
The Pells spoke with
anyone who approached them and Clay didn’t just glad hand the crowd. Rather, he
listened – truly listened – to each and every guest with whom he engaged. Some
just wanted a photo with the man. Others just wanted a photo with his gold
medal Olympian wife.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Michelle never did get an
Olympic gold, getting one silver and one bronze instead, plus a whole bunch of
World Championships and US Championships, and is one of America’s most
decorated figure skaters, not to mention a really nice person. Cathy & I
hosted a meet-and-greet for Clay and Michelle at the Shelter Harbor Inn on
April 13, the day that Nuala Pell died. Despite their obvious grief, they came to
our event anyway, and, as Jonathan Jacobs reports, spoke and listened to everyone. - W. Collette].
But
both stayed, even after the last balloons had been handed off to willing
takers, and listened to the concerns of the non-profit, mental health
community.
There
were no members of the press present.