Bon Jovi, Gore honored for mental health efforts
More than 350 attend Middletown gala for local nonprofit
BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer

Above: Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi, and Tipper and Al Gore were guests at the Sept. 16 charity gala in Middletown. The event celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Hazlet-based nonprofit 180 Turning Lives Around. Below: Sue Shatlle, Colts Neck, makes a donation to 2nd Floor, a teenage hot line sponsored by Jon Bon Jovi.

MIDDLETOWN - Money and power can't buy mental health, but apparently rock stars and politicians can.

Former Vice President Al Gore, wife Tipper Gore, Jon Bon Jovi and Gov. Jon Corzine were just a few of the names on the guest list for the Sept. 16 charity gala held in honor of the 30th anniversary of 180, Turning Lives Around, a Hazlet-based nonprofit dedicated to mental health outreach.

Tipper Gore and Bon Jovi were the night's guests of honor. Both have contributed large amounts to the organization, which boasts numerous programs including domestic violence counseling, rape victim assistance, art therapy and substance abuse intervention.

Held on the sprawling lawn of Tammy and Phil Murphy's Navesink riverfront mansion, large white tents were erected for the sit-down dinner-dance, auction and pledge drive, which attracted more than 350 guests.

PHOTOSBYKAREN BOWES

Dressed in a silver metallic leather jacket and straight black slacks, Tipper Gore sat demurely in the Murphys' front parlor, politely answering questions from a slew of journalists before leaving to attend the party. With a master's degree in clinical psychology, she noted her life's early goals coincide with the mission of the charity.

"I thought I'd be a practicing counselor in my life - this was many years ago," Gore said.

"Domestic violence and sexual assault are present in every community but it is something people are hesitant to talk about," she continued.

Gore said she first heard about the charity through her close friends, Middle-town residents Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea. She chose to get involved with 180 because of the way they "so wonderfully and effectively handle" the most delicate of mental health issues, such as rape and domestic violence.

And while Gore's outfit evoked a subtle rock 'n' roll vibe, Bon Jovi was all business in a conservative blue suit and tie, similar to those worn by the many politicians attending the gala.

Bon Jovi was chosen for the honor because of his considerable donations to 180, including the recent funding of a new teenage hotline based in Philadel-phia. Called 2nd Floor, the hotline serves Monmouth and Mercer counties as well as parts of Philadelphia, where Bon Jovi owns an arena football team.

And though Bon Jovi may enjoy resident celebrity status in Middletown, Tipper Gore was clearly the star of the evening, her husband jokingly stepping out of camera shots, he said, because she was the more important person. The former vice president was amiable with the press as well, appeasing an English-born photographer by playfully posing in front of an oversized Andy Warhol print of Queen Elizabeth.

Anna Diaz-White, 180's executive director, praised Tipper Gore's other mental health contributions, including working to end the stigma associated with seeking clinical therapy.

For more information on 180, Turning Lives Around, visit www.180.nj.org or call (732) 264-9114.