Luke Tedeschi Donates $18,000 To Addiction Solutions Of Nantucket

Luke Tedeschi served his final mudslide earlier this year following 34 years of operating the Tavern & Gazebo. But Tedeschi had one last piece of business to take care of this past week before moving on as the operator of the iconic island restaurant after not being offered an extension to his lease by Nantucket Island Resorts (NIR) – making an $18,000 donation to Dr. Tim Lepore’s nonprofit Addiction Solutions of Nantucket.

"It's a worthy cause that I can relate to in my own life, in my own situations," Tedeschi, who said he has now been sober for eight years, told the Current. "I said I was going to take what was mine or memorabilia at the Tavern and Gazebo and I was going to sell it all and then pick a nonprofit to give it back to the island and the community, and that's what I did. I'm happy I was able to come through with that, and now it's coming to a final closure now."

Addiction Solutions of Nantucket provides free addiction treatment on Nantucket for opioids, alcohol, and substance use, as well as medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and 24/7 support. The nonprofit utilizes effective, vetted medicines such as Suboxone, Vivitrol, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and others, alongside counseling and community support to treat the entire person who comes to them in a time of need.

"The donations are important because it allows us to function in the patient's favor," Lepore told the Current. "We don't require insurance. We don't ask for money from the patient. We provide free care, and this is so important to keep it going. Otherwise, we'd have to hold them up by their ankles."

Tedeschi’s donation was money raised through auctioning off iconic signs and memorabilia associated with the Tavern & Gazebo such as its 25 and Up sign, drink menu, and Hog Island Beer Co. sign.