Caron Atlanta 6th Annual Gala

During this year’s Gala, we will honor John Decker with the Richard J. Caron Award of Excellence, recognizing his outstanding leadership, commitment, and contributions to Caron’s transformational addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment. Additionally, Heather Hayes, M.Ed., LPC, CIP, CAI will receive our Partner in Recovery Award for her decades of advocacy and profound impact on the lives of countless individuals and families.

The gala will be an inspiring, impactful, and entertaining evening celebrating the power of transformation and featuring music, dinner, and auction items including incredible trips and dazzling jewelry.

Richard J. Caron Award of Excellence
John Decker

This year’s Distinguished Honoree is John Decker, retired co-founder of Childress Klein Properties and an original member of Caron’s Atlanta Regional Advisory Board. John’s leadership, generosity, and steadfast commitment to community have strengthened Caron’s ability to support individuals and families on their journey to recovery.

Partner in Recovery Award
Heather Hayes, M.Ed., LPC, CIP, CAI

Caron is proud to honor Heather Hayes, founder and CEO of Heather R. Hayes & Associates, as a Partner in Recovery. With more than three decades of experience in behavioral health, trauma-informed care, and intervention, Heather has devoted her life to helping individuals and families find pathways to healing and long-term recovery.

At Caron, we believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to access our world class care. Last year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, Caron provided $9.8 million in financial assistance, benefiting over 760 individuals and their families. At this year’s gala, our goal is to raise funds and expand impact by increasing the number of scholarships, advancing research initiatives, and enhancing our prevention, education, and neurorestorative care programs.

VIEW SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HERE

Ways to Give

• Purchase event tickets below or by clicking on Register Today.
• Donate Online
• Mail a check (indicate if it is for tickets, sponsorship, or a donation) payable to:

Caron Treatment Centers
ATTN: Elizabeth Spears
1200 Ashwood Parkway, Suite 125
Atlanta, Georgia 30338

For more information, contact Elizabeth Spears at espears@caron.org.

Sales end on April 13th, 2026 - This site will remain open for a week following the gala if you would like to contribute!

Individual tickets will be available for purchase on February 2, 2026.