CVS Health's Larry Merlo among honorees of 2014 Winter Wish Gala

NEW YORK — The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing teen substance abuse and supporting families impacted by addiction, has announced that Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, is among the new honorees for its 2014 Winter Wish Gala to be held Nov. 20 in New York City.



Merlo will join honoree Wenda Harris Millard, president and COO of MediaLink. In addition, Helshi Lockwood Tunnell Hewson, media consultant at the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, will receive the inaugural James E. Burke Award. They will join Sen. Gordon Smith, previously announced as a gala honoree.



"We would not be able to deliver on our promise of being the organization where families find answers without the incredible support of our partners and extraordinary individuals," said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. "We honor our friend Wenda Harris Millard of MediaLink for her many years of steadfast dedication to our work in helping families protect the health of their children; and Larry Merlo and his wonderful team at CVS Health for their commitment in joining us to educate families nationwide about the risks of abusing medicines while together making progress toward our goal to prevent half million teens from abusing medicine by 2017."



The gala is the Partnership's largest source of support for its mission each year, raising nearly $2 million dollars in 2013. Past honorees have included Bill Koenigsberg, president and CEO of Horizon Media; Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group; Clear Channel and more.