Surprise visit from rock star Jon Bon Jovi marks Hanley Foundation's annual charity dinner

Maya Washburn
·1 min read
2

Jon Bon Jovi spent about an hour and 15 minutes at a Palm Beach charity fund-raising dinner and auction — and raised $15,000 for its programs — before he was out the door.

The Hanley Foundation, which works to reduce substance abuse across the state, received a surprise visit from the rock star and Palm Beach homeowner Bon Jovi at its 18th annual Palm Beach Dinner Jan. 19 at the Sailfish Club.

Bon Jovi took photos with the audience and auctioned off a case of his own Hampton Water rosé, featuring a signed bottle and a signed guitar, while one of his band’s most well-known songs, “Livin’ on a Prayer,” blared in the background.

More celeb news:Did you know these 23 celebrities lived in the Jupiter area?

Jon Bon Jovi made a surprise visit at the Hanley Foundation's 18th annual fundraising dinner on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach, where he owns a home. Bon Jovi auctioned off a case of his own Hampton Water rosé and a signed guitar to raise $15,000 for the foundations' substance-abuse programs. With him is Hanley CEO Jan Cairnes.

“Jon came out at the very end of the dinner,” said Emily Nichols, the foundation’s marketing manager. “It was a huge surprise and highlight of the evening.”

The foundation grants scholarships to those who cannot afford rehab and brings substance use disorder programs to elementary, middle and high school students in 32 Florida counties that extend from Broward to Duval.

Its members were thrilled by the amount of support at the event. Aside from the $15,000 the Bon Jovi package brought in, Hanley couldn’t provide a total of the money raised but said it was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Bon Jovi, a New Jersey native who turns 61 in March, owns a $43-million oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach. A few days before the dinner, he was featured in a video at Rocco’s Tacos in West Palm Beach.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar (@roccostacos)

Maya Washburn is a reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida network. Reach her at mwashburn@gannett.com Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach charity event gets surprise visit by rock star Jon Bon Jovi