Fundraising event, formerly known as the Sweetheart Ball, benefits oncology research through Meridian Cancer Care.
The BuildingHOPE Benefit is chaired by Freeholder Serena P. DiMaso, who has a personal connection to oncology research after losing her father to cancer abruptly in 2014. “I decided to get involved with this event to help other families avoid the pain my family experienced when we lost my father shortly after diagnosis,” shares Serena. “I have every confidence that Meridian has the best programs in place to achieve optimal patient outcomes and with community support, those programs will only strengthen.”
The event will feature a new format with a variety of reception and cocktail style seating throughout the night, reserved tables for top sponsors, hors d’oeuvres and stations in lieu of a plated entrée, a tented cocktail hour, live music by the B-Street Band, cocktail attire, a paddle pledge, and a “fund a need” area where guests can support specific research projects in our hospitals.
The name “BuildingHOPE” shares its moniker with six major oncology expansion projects taking place throughout Meridian Health. With a three year investment of $128 million, the projects will build hope for residents with new facilities, state-of-the-art technology, and expanded medical expertise. “This is an extraordinary time in medicine, particularly in the field of oncology,” shares Mark Krasna, M.D. corporate medical director of Meridian Cancer Care. “Significant developments and breakthroughs are giving researchers, physicians, caregivers and patients unpreceded hope and optimism. This event combined with Meridian’s commitment to BuildingHOPE ensures we can bring extraordinary cancer care closer to the communities we serve.”
Tickets for the BuildingHOPE Benefit are $275 per person, with many sponsorship and journal advertising opportunities available. 50/50 raffle tickets are also on sale for $50 per chance or three tickets for $100. Secure online registration is available at www.MeridianHealth.com/BuildingHOPEBenefit. For more information or to make a reservation, please call Meagan O’Flaherty, special events associate, at 732.751.5101 or e-mail [email protected] To learn more about how Meridian Cancer Care is expanding, visit www.MeridianBuildingHOPE.com.
About Meridian Health
Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization in New Jersey, comprising Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge and Perth Amboy, and Meridian Partner Companies that include home care and hospice services, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, ambulatory care, ambulance services, fitness and wellness centers, and outpatient centers that allow the full continuum of health care services to be offered locally. In May 2015, Meridian Health and Hackensack University Health Network signed a definitive agreement to merge. Meridian Health has consistently been rated among the top performing health systems in NJ for clinical quality and nationally is the recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum. Meridian is one of the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” for six consecutive years. Earlier in 2015, Great Place to Work® and Fortune recognized Meridian Health as one of the 20 Best Workplaces in Health Care in the nation and the number one Best Place to Work for Women. Meridian is recognized for patient care and nursing excellence, including being the first health system in the country to achieve Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center at all of its original hospitals. Additionally, Meridian’s mission of training the next generation of health care professionals is vital to providing a foundation for sound health in our community. In 2008, Meridian Health launched a four-year nursing program in partnership with Georgian Court University. Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine has also honored Meridian as one of the nation’s 100 Most Wired Health Systems for 16 consecutive years. Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies. For more information, visit www.MeridianHealth.com.
