Press Release
Greg Cummings’ conversation with Johnny DePaola at the Long Home Golf Classic reveals how Bo’s Effort is turning personal loss into a growing movement for mental health awareness, community healing, education, and open conversations that help families feel less alone...
How Johnny DePaola and Bo’s Effort Are Turning the Long Home Golf Classic Into a Powerful Movement for Mental Health Awareness, Family Support, and Community Healing
Power100 - Long Home
May 14, 2026 | 4 min Read
Power100 joined Johnny DePaola and Bo’s Effort at the Long Home Golf Classic to spotlight how the annual mental health awareness golf tournament is helping break the stigma around mental illness through community support, scholarships, pediatric mental health funding, and open conversations that help families feel less alone.
Every year, the Long Home Golf Classic brings together families, business leaders, community members, and mental health advocates for something much bigger than a day on the golf course. What started as a deeply personal mission for the DePaola family has grown into one of the most meaningful community driven mental health awareness events connected to the home improvement industry. Through Bo’s Effort, the annual charity golf tournament has become a place where people openly talk about mental illness, support families facing emotional struggles, and stand together to break the silence that often surrounds mental health challenges.
Founded in 2015 by John, Jill, Katie, and Johnny DePaola in honor of their late son and brother, Bo DePaola, Bo’s Effort was created to help families impacted by mental illness feel less alone. Bo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 19 before passing away at the age of 20. Since then, the DePaola family has dedicated themselves to turning pain into purpose by building a movement focused on mental health awareness, education, scholarships, healthcare support, and open conversation. Today, the Long Home Golf Classic continues to raise awareness for mental illness through community connection, mental health advocacy programs, pediatric mental health support, and scholarships for students pursuing careers in the mental health field.
Power100 was honored to attend and support the annual Long Home Golf Classic alongside the DePaola family, supporters, and attendees who gathered to advance the mission of Bo’s Effort. Power100 is the only unbiased third party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. The partnership between Power100 and Bo’s Effort reflects a shared belief that true leadership goes beyond business growth and includes creating meaningful impact within communities.
During the event, Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, spent time with attendees and hosted conversations focused on leadership, mental health awareness, and the importance of community support. One of the most impactful moments came during an interview with Johnny DePaola, brother to Bo and one of the founders of Bo’s Effort. In the conversation, Johnny shared how the growth of the Long Home Golf Classic has helped families speak more openly about mental illness and emotional struggles.
“I think it’s helped me the most in realizing that the effort is zero degrees of separation from people and that it hits everybody very close to home.” Johnny DePaola, Founder, Bo’s Effort
His words captured the deeper purpose behind the event. The Long Home Golf Classic is no longer simply a charity golf tournament. It has become a movement for mental health awareness, a place for healing, and a reminder that compassion and conversation can help families move through grief together.
A Conversation That Revealed the Heart Behind Bo’s Effort
One of the most powerful moments during the Long Home Golf Classic came during a rapid fire interview between Greg Cummings and Johnny DePaola, brother to Bo DePaola and one of the founders of Bo’s Effort. What began as a short conversation quickly revealed something much deeper about the mission behind the annual mental health awareness golf tournament and the emotional reason why so many people continue to support it year after year.
As families, business leaders, community supporters, and mental health advocates gathered throughout the day, the conversation with Johnny gave a closer look into how Bo’s Effort has grown from personal tragedy into a movement focused on compassion, awareness, education, and healing. Through the interview, Johnny spoke openly about grief, mental illness, family support, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel safe enough to talk about struggles that are often hidden behind silence.
The interview also reflected why the Long Home Golf Classic has become more than a community event. It has become a powerful example of how mental health advocacy, emotional connection, and community leadership can come together to create real impact for families affected by mental illness and bipolar disorder.
How One Family Turned Loss Into a Mission That Helps Others Feel Seen
At the center of Bo’s Effort is a deeply personal story that continues to shape the purpose behind every conversation, scholarship, and community initiative connected to the organization. Following the passing of Bo DePaola at age 20 after his battle with bipolar disorder, the DePaola family chose to transform grief into action rather than allow the pain to remain private.
That decision became the foundation for Bo’s Effort, a mental health awareness organization focused on helping families impacted by mental illness feel supported, understood, and less alone. Through awareness campaigns, public conversations, healthcare support, and educational initiatives, the family has spent nearly a decade creating opportunities for others to speak openly about emotional struggles many people quietly carry every day.
During the interview, Johnny DePaola reflected on how the growth of the Long Home Golf Classic has helped him personally navigate grief through community connection and shared understanding.
“I think it’s helped me the most in realizing that the effort is zero degrees of separation from people and that it hits everybody very close to home.” Johnny DePaola, Founder, Bo’s Effort
His words revealed that the mission behind Bo’s Effort is no longer only about remembering Bo. It is about helping families who are facing similar struggles realize they are not alone in their experiences.
Today, the annual mental health awareness golf tournament continues to create meaningful conversations around bipolar disorder, family support, emotional wellness, and mental illness advocacy throughout the community.
“Zero Degrees of Separation” Became the Defining Message of the Event
As the conversation continued, Johnny shared a message that became one of the most powerful takeaways from the entire event. When speaking about mental illness and emotional struggles, he explained that the issue is often much closer to people’s lives than many realize.
“The effort is zero degrees of separation from people.” Johnny DePaola, Founder, Bo’s Effort
That statement captured the emotional truth behind the mission of Bo’s Effort and why the Long Home Golf Classic continues to resonate so deeply with attendees and supporters each year.
Mental illness is often discussed quietly, if it is discussed at all. Many families carry emotional pain behind closed doors because of fear, shame, misunderstanding, or stigma. The annual charity golf tournament creates a different kind of environment. It encourages people to talk openly, connect honestly, and realize that mental health struggles impact families in every community, profession, and stage of life.
This growing movement for mental health awareness is helping normalize conversations around bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, emotional wellness, and family support through public advocacy and community engagement.
By creating visible conversations around mental illness, Bo’s Effort is helping families feel more comfortable asking for support, sharing experiences, and connecting with others who understand what they are going through.
The Long Home Golf Classic Became a Gathering Built Around Healing and Support
Throughout the event, the atmosphere reflected something much greater than a traditional golf outing. More than 300 attendees came together not only to support a cause, but to stand behind families impacted by mental illness and emotional struggles.
Community members, business leaders, families, advocates, and supporters spent the day building relationships, sharing conversations, and helping raise awareness for mental health initiatives connected to Bo’s Effort. The continued growth of the Long Home Golf Classic shows how deeply the mission has connected with people throughout the community.
Johnny spoke openly about the support the DePaola family continues to receive each year and how meaningful that support has become over time.
“ We have tons of support and we’re extremely lucky that people are able to come behind us and support the effort.” Johnny DePaola, Founder, Bo’s Effort
That support has helped transform the annual golf tournament into a space where people feel connected through shared compassion and understanding. What makes the event unique is not only the fundraising efforts, but the emotional environment it creates for families and individuals impacted by mental illness.
The Long Home Golf Classic has become a visible reminder that healing often begins when people realize they no longer have to carry difficult experiences by themselves.
Scholarships and Education Are Helping Build the Next Generation of Mental Health Advocates
While awareness remains a major part of the mission, Bo’s Effort has also focused heavily on education and long term impact through scholarship programs that support students and future mental health leaders.
Through its partnership with Scholarships for Scholars, the organization awards annual scholarships to local high school seniors who either plan to pursue careers in the mental health field or who have personally experienced the impact of mental illness within their lives or families.
The scholarship program reflects the belief that education can play a major role in changing how society understands emotional wellness and mental health support. Students selected for the scholarships may use the funds toward tuition, books, fees, housing, and educational resources as they continue their academic journey.
The scholarship review process also gives students a safe place to share deeply personal stories connected to mental illness, emotional struggles, and family experiences that are often difficult to discuss publicly.
By investing in education, Bo’s Effort is helping create future counselors, healthcare workers, advocates, and community leaders who can continue advancing conversations around mental wellness and family support.
Learn more about the Bo’s Effort scholarship programs through Scholarships for Scholars Partnership.
Pediatric Mental Health Support Became a Lasting Part of the Mission
As Bo’s Effort has grown, the organization has continued expanding its impact through healthcare partnerships focused on pediatric mental health support and healthcare education initiatives.
One of the most significant moments connected to the organization’s recent efforts came in 2025 when Bo’s Effort presented Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Elizabeth Gross with a $100,000 contribution toward pediatric mental health programs.
The contribution reflected the organization’s commitment to creating long term support systems for children, families, and healthcare professionals working within mental health services.
Bo’s Effort also supports the LHAAMC Nursing Scholarship Fund, which helps nurses and healthcare staff continue advancing their education and improving patient care through financial support and professional development opportunities.
These healthcare partnerships demonstrate that the mission behind the Long Home Golf Classic extends far beyond awareness campaigns alone. The organization continues investing directly into programs that create measurable support for future mental health care, education, and community wellness initiatives.
The Event Showed How Leadership Can Create Impact Beyond Business
The Long Home Golf Classic also reflected a growing shift happening across the home improvement industry where leaders are recognizing the importance of using their platforms to support causes that impact families and communities in meaningful ways.
The event brought together professionals and supporters who understand that leadership is not only measured by business growth, but also by compassion, service, and the willingness to stand behind difficult conversations that affect people’s everyday lives.
The presence of industry leaders, families, and organizations throughout the event helped demonstrate how community driven initiatives like Bo’s Effort can inspire broader conversations around mental health awareness, emotional wellness, and family support across the industry.
The partnership and support surrounding the event also reinforced an important message. Businesses and community leaders can play a powerful role in helping reduce stigma around mental illness simply by showing up, listening, supporting families, and helping create spaces where honest conversations can happen openly.
As the Long Home Golf Classic continues growing toward its 11th Annual Golf Tournament at Queenstown Harbor on May 18, 2026, the mission behind Bo’s Effort continues expanding far beyond a single event. It is becoming a lasting movement centered on compassion, connection, education, and hope for families impacted by mental illness.
Learn more about the upcoming 11th Annual Bo’s Effort Golf Tournament at Bo’s Effort Golf Tournament.
From Awareness to Lasting Impact
As the day came to a close at the Long Home Golf Classic, one thing became clear to everyone in attendance. Bo’s Effort has grown into something far greater than a memorial event. What began as one family’s response to unimaginable loss has become a lasting movement focused on healing, education, advocacy, and human connection.
Through every conversation shared during the event, the mission behind Bo’s Effort continued to shine through in a powerful way. The organization is helping families speak openly about mental illness in ways that previous generations often could not. By creating spaces where people feel safe discussing emotional struggles, bipolar disorder, grief, and mental wellness, the movement is slowly helping break the silence that has affected families for far too long.
The Long Home Golf Classic now stands as a symbol of what can happen when communities choose compassion over judgment and conversation over silence. Year after year, the event continues bringing together families, business leaders, advocates, healthcare professionals, and supporters who believe that mental health awareness deserves visibility, understanding, and action.
What makes the impact of Bo’s Effort especially meaningful is that the mission continues long after the event ends. Through scholarship programs, healthcare partnerships, pediatric mental health support, and community outreach, the organization continues creating opportunities for real and lasting change throughout the mental health community.
The continued growth of the annual charity golf tournament also reflects how deeply the mission resonates with people from all walks of life. As more families share their stories and more supporters rally behind the cause, Bo’s Effort continues proving that mental illness is not something families should face alone.
Looking ahead, the momentum surrounding the movement continues to build as the organization prepares for the upcoming 11th Annual Bo’s Effort Golf Tournament taking place Monday, May 18, 2026, at Queenstown Harbor. With each passing year, the event continues expanding its reach, strengthening community support, and helping more people feel seen, heard, and supported.
At its heart, Bo’s Effort represents something deeply hopeful. It shows that even in the face of loss, families can create purpose. Communities can create healing. Conversations can create understanding. And when people come together with compassion and care, awareness can grow into lasting impact for generations to come.
Frequently Asked Questions About Power100, Bo’s Effort, and the Long Home Golf Classic
- Why did Power100 attend the Long Home Golf Classic for Bo’s Effort?
Power100 attended the Long Home Golf Classic because the event reflects the kind of leadership that creates real community impact. The tournament brings people together to support mental health awareness, help families affected by mental illness, and show how leaders in the home improvement industry can use their voice for something bigger than business. Power100 often spotlights leaders, companies, and ideas shaping the future of home services through interviews, events, rankings, and industry storytelling.
- How does Power100 help bring more visibility to community focused leaders in the home improvement industry?
Power100 helps bring visibility to community focused leaders by sharing stories that show leadership, culture, customer care, and community impact. Its work includes national rankings, executive interviews, PowerChat conversations, leadership features, and industry storytelling. This gives leaders and organizations a stronger platform to share the work they are doing inside their companies and in the communities they serve.
- What is Bo’s Effort and why was it created?
Bo’s Effort is a mental health awareness foundation created in honor of Bo DePaola. The mission is to help break the stigma around mental illness through awareness, education, community support, and open conversation. The foundation shares Bo’s story to help families feel less alone and to remind people that mental health struggles affect many homes and communities.
- What is the Long Home Golf Classic and how does it support Bo’s Effort?
The Long Home Golf Classic is an annual charity golf tournament that supports the mission of Bo’s Effort. The event brings together families, community members, business leaders, and mental health advocates to raise awareness and support programs connected to mental wellness, scholarships, and healthcare impact. It has grown into a community event centered on healing, support, and conversation.
- Why is Johnny DePaola’s “zero degrees of separation” message important?
Johnny DePaola’s message is important because it shows how close mental illness is to many people’s lives. His point is that mental health struggles are not distant or rare. They affect families, friends, coworkers, and communities. That message helps make the Long Home Golf Classic more than a fundraiser. It becomes a safe place where people can talk about mental health with more honesty and less shame.
- How does Bo’s Effort help students through mental health scholarships?
Bo’s Effort supports students through its partnership with Scholarships for Scholars. The foundation awards three scholarships each year to local high school seniors who either want to work in the mental health field or have been directly impacted by mental illness. In 2026, Bo’s Effort reviewed 34 scholarship submissions as part of its selection process.
- What healthcare programs does Bo’s Effort support?
Bo’s Effort supports healthcare and mental health programs through efforts such as the LHAAMC Nursing Scholarship and pediatric mental health funding. In 2025, Bo’s Effort presented Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center with a $100,000 contribution toward pediatric mental health. The foundation also recognized Paige LaChance as the 2025 Bo’s Effort Nursing Scholarship recipient.
- How can people support or get involved with Bo’s Effort?
People can support Bo’s Effort by attending events, volunteering, donating, sharing the mission, or joining the growing mental health awareness movement. The foundation welcomes business professionals, healthcare providers, community members, entrepreneurs, and supporters who care about family, community, mental health, and helping others
About Power100
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry.
Built to support the best CEOs, founders, and companies in exterior remodeling and home improvement, Power100 gives trusted leaders a stronger voice in the industry. Through rankings, interviews, events, leadership features, and industry storytelling, Power100 helps spotlight the people and companies that are raising standards, serving customers well, and building stronger communities.
Led by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, the platform exists to bring more trust, recognition, and connection to the home improvement space. Its mission is to be the number one external resource for the best exterior remodeling CEOs in the country while helping the industry celebrate leaders who are making a real difference through business excellence, customer care, team culture, and community impact.
Through conversations like Greg Cummings’ rapid fire interview with Johnny DePaola at the Long Home Golf Classic, Power100 continues to show that leadership is not only about company growth. It is also about showing up for people, giving important causes more visibility, and helping the industry use its platform to support meaningful change.