Pat Elwell

Pat, the previous owner of Patrick’s Restaurant in Auburn Hills, has been directly involved in the restaurant business for over 37 years. Under Pat’s ownership, Patrick’s Restaurant was the recipient of the Travel Holiday award in 1972 through 1982, when the award was discontinued. His restaurant also received a dining award from the Ford Times in 1972, one of only three awards given out. The other two awards went to a restaurant in Mexico and a restaurant in Canada. Patrick’s was also featured in AAA’s Motor News in 1970 and in Michigan Living in November of 1996 for its excellence.

Pat has been personally involved in the Michigan Restaurant Association for over 37 years and served on its Board of Directors for ten years. He is also a current member of Oakland University’s President’s Club, serving on the special events committee. Additionally, Pat is a member of St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital’s Men of Mercy Organization.

In 1985, Pat’s interest in mental health began with the diagnosis of his son, Patrick with Manic Depressive illness. After six years of searching for successful treatment for Patrick, Pat realized that all mental disorders are chemically oriented and are true medical problems. He realized that the solution for finding cures and treatments for mental illness is in brain research. Because of the lack of available funding for brain related disease, Pat felt the need to get personally involved. Thus the birth of MIRA, the Mental Illness Research Association.

In the back room of his restaurant, Pat called upon some of his personal friends to discuss mental health issues and asked them for ideas on ways to raise funds to donate directly to Michigan based research facilities, strictly for brain research. Realizing that the only way MIRA could succeed would be to go directly to the community, by enlisting the help of area churches, corporations, political arenas and the private sector. Since its inception in 1992, MIRA has raised over a million dollars in support of its mission. Additionally, under Pat’s leadership, MIRA has also been involved in education of the public by helping them understand that mental illness is a biological disease, much like heart disease or cancer. He is actively involved in helping erase the stigma of mental illness.  Pat stresses that the outlook is good and that the treatments and cures are sure to come in the very near future.