Women and Girls Health Initiative Luncheon Features Academy Award-Winning Actress Patty Duke

Contact: Joanna Norris, Assistant Director
Department of Media Relations and Events
(904) 620-2102



The University of North Florida’s Women and Girls Health Initiative will feature Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke at a benefit luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, at the Hyatt Regency, located on Jacksonville’s riverfront, 225 East Coastline Drive. The topic of discussion will be mental health in women. Tickets are $50 per person or $500 for sponsored tables of 10. Tickets are available by calling (904) 620-2810 or online at www.unf.edu/brooks/Us/speaker.htm. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

As a child starring in her own sitcom, Patty Duke grew up before the camera. She became the youngest actress ever to win an Oscar for her role in “The Miracle Worker.” Her career has brought her to Broadway, feature films, television series and cartoons. Duke’s 72 television movies have afforded her a wide variety of roles, most notably Neely O’Hara of “Valley of the Dolls,” Martha Washington in “George Washington,” and mother of the bride in “Prelude to a Kiss.”

Duke has received several awards, including an Oscar, two Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, six Emmy nominations and a People’s Choice Award. She has also accepted multiple community service awards to honor her commitment to many social issues.

Through all of her success, she battled undiagnosed mental illness. In her most recent book, “A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness,” Duke illuminates the harrowing story and her long road to recovery. An outspoken and compassionate advocate for those who suffer with mental illness, she is lauded for her ongoing efforts to create awareness and sharing her personal story of recovery and hope.

The purpose of the UNF’s Women and Girls Health Initiative is to financially support the programs of UNF’s Brooks College of Health through membership support and to provide targeted women and girls health education to the greater Jacksonville community. The Women and Girls Health Initiative aims to motivate, educate and engage individuals in the strengthening and delivery of excellence in women and girls health care.


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