Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: Celebration of Life

  • Samaritan announces Celebration of Life gala

    Samaritan’s annual Celebration of Life gala, presented by Holman Enterprises, will be held at champion sponsor Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m.

    Plans will be spearheaded by honorary co-chairs Debra P. DiLorenzo and Kathleen A. Davis of DiLorenzo Davis Consulting.

    The event will include food, music by Masquerade, dancing and more in celebration of Samaritan’s 45-plus years of providing life-enhancing services and care to more than 12,500 patients, clients and their families annually in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.

    “Each year, the gala serves as Samaritan’s largest fundraising event – reaffirming our mission to provide life-enhancing services and care to all those we serve, while also honoring the generous individuals and organizations who make our work possible,” said Phillip W. Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan.

    To further support fundraising efforts and broader community engagement, Samaritan’s gala will also feature:

    • The Premiere Culinary Passport Raffle is sponsored by Innovative Benefit Planning LLC and offers the chance to win a total of eight $200 restaurant gift certificates (valued at a total of $1,600) for just $20 per ticket. Two raffle winners will be announced during the gala.
    • An online auction will feature a variety of specialty items for bid and will open for bidding on Saturday, Jan. 31.

    Event attendance is not required for participation in both the raffle and online auction. Tickets for the former are available to buy online via Samaritan’s website, in addition to access to the online auction. All proceeds from the evening will support above and beyond care for Samaritan patients and their families throughout South Jersey.

    Each year the gala honors three individuals and organizations who are dedicated in their service to Samaritan, as well as the greater South Jersey community. The 2026 honorees include Dr. Nandini Natrajan, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and United Way of Gloucester County

    “The impact that Dr. Natrajan, the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and United Way of Gloucester County have had on our organization is immeasurable,” Heath explained. “The dedication and generosity exhibited by each of these honorees helps us continue to evolve to help more people in more ways throughout southern New Jersey.”

    “If you look around the room on the night of the gala, there’s a pretty good chance that most of the people there have had a loved one in our care,” noted Chris Rollins, chief development officer at Samaritan. “And they are there, perhaps, to show gratitude and help pay it forward by ensuring we can do that for others, and we’re lifted up by them showing that support and helping us look to the next 45 years.”

    For sponsorship information and deadlines, additional gala details or tickets, visit www.SamaritanNJ.org/Gala.

  • Samaritan gala raises $286K

    Samaritan recently held its annual Celebration of Life Gala – presented by Holman Enterprises – at the LIVE! Casino-Hotel in Philadelphia.

    More than $286,000 was raised to support the nonprofit’s end-of-life services in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties. The event saw Archer & Greiner, P.C., TD Bank and Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis of Rutgers-Camden named Samaritan’s Celebration of Life honorees.

    “Our annual Celebration of Life gala allows us to continue providing comprehensive care for the people of South Jersey,” said Phillip W. Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan.

    This year’s gala included dinner, live music and an online auction of 108 items that raised more than $15,000, and the drawing of two winning tickets for Samaritan’s annual dining raffle. The winners were Silia Mills of Voorhees and James Jay Rivard of Cherry Hill, who received a dozen $100 dining gift certificates valued at $1,200.

    To learn more about Samaritan, visit samaritannj.org/giving/.

  • Township couple honorary co-chairs of Samaritan gala

    Longtime Samaritan supporters and advocates Greg and Traci Button have been named 2025 honorary co-chairs of the organization’s annual Celebration of Life Gala.

    “Greg and Traci truly embody the Samaritan spirit – passionately dedicated to the communities they serve, and exemplary champions for our mission,” said Phillip W. Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan, of the Moorestown couple.

    “They are the perfect individuals for this important role, ensuring that this year’s Celebration of Life event is both impactful and memorable in so many different ways.”

    Each year, Samaritan’s gala marks its own history and also honors individuals and organizations dedicated in their service to Samaritan and the South Jersey area. Its 2025 honorees are:

    • Archer & Greiner, P.C.
    • TD Bank
    • Antonio D. Tillis, Ph.D., chancellor, Rutgers University-Camden

    “The level of support and commitment exhibited by this year’s incredible group of honorees allows Samaritan to continue to expand and grow as an organization, so that we may support individuals exactly when and how they need it most,” Heath noted.

    Samaritan’s Celebration of Life Gala, presented by Holman Enterprises, will be held at champion sponsor Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8. The annual fundraiser will celebate Samaritan’s 45 years of providing an expanding range of care to more than 11,000 patients and families in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties.

    “Let’s come together to celebrate,” said Chris Rollins, chief development officer at Samaritan, of the gala. “Let’s celebrate the work that we do, let’s celebrate the impact that we’re having across the communities that we serve, let’s celebrate the loved ones that we’ve cared for, and that guests and others are remembering and – we know – celebrating as well.”

    The gala will feature food, live music by Masquerade and dancing. To further support fundraising efforts and engagement, Samaritan’s Gala will once again offer a dining raffle for the chance to win 12, $100 restaurant gift certificates valued at a total of $1,200 for $10 per ticket. A virtual auction will feature specialty items for bid. It will open for bidding on Feb. 1.

    Attendance is not required for the raffle and auction. Tickets for both are available at www.samaritanNJ.org/Gala. Proceeds from the evening will support direct care for Samaritan clients.

    Special to The Sun
    Samaritan’s Tree of Life: Season of Light program is dedicated to remembering and honoring lost loved ones during the holiday season.

    Samaritan will hold its annual Tree of Life: Season of Light illumination program at its headquarters in Mount Laurel tomorrow, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. The ceremony is dedicated to remembering and honoring lost loved ones during the holiday season.

    “At Samaritan, we understand that the holiday season can be especially difficult for those grieving a loss or coping with memories of a loved one,” Heath noted. “We are proud to provide a welcoming environment and moving experience where our community can come together to remember, honor and celebrate the lives of our loved ones during this special time of year.”

    “Tree of Life is a chance to gather during the holiday,” Rollins observed, “because it can be such a difficult time to celebrate. And we deliberately use that word celebrate rather than to grieve, because it’s a time to celebrate the memories of our loved ones.”

    All proceeds from the Tree of Life event will benefit Samaritan patients and families.

  • Samaritan announces more details for 2025 gala

    Special to The Sun
    Samaritan’s 2025 gala honorary co-chairs Greg and Traci Button of Moorestown have been longtime supporters and advocates for Samaritan.

    Samaritan will hold its annual Celebration of Life Gala, presented by Holman Enterprises, at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia in Philadelphia on February 8, 2025. The annual fundraising event celebrates Samaritan’s 45 years of providing an expanding range of life-enhancing care to more than 11,000 patients, families and clients annually throughout Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties.

    This year’s gala will feature food, live music by Masquerade, dancing and more. Greg and Traci Button of Moorestown, who are both longtime Samaritan supporters and advocates, have been named the 2025 gala honorary co-chairs.

    Each year, Samaritan’s gala also honors individuals and organizations who are dedicated in their service to Samaritan, as well as the greater South Jersey community. Samaritan is proud to announce its 2025 honorees:

    • Archer & Greiner, P.C.
    • TD Bank
    • Antonio D. Tillis, PhD, Chancellor, Rutgers University-Camden

    To further support fundraising efforts and engagement, Samaritan’s gala will once again feature:

    • Delightful Dining Raffle – sponsored by Innovative Benefit Planning, this raffle offers the chance to win 12 $100 restaurant gift certificates (valued at a total of $1,200) to some of the area’s finest eateries, for just $10 per ticket. Two raffle winners will be announced during the gala.
    • Virtual Online Auction – featuring a variety of specialty items for bid, from trips and travel packages to gift baskets, sports memorabilia, brand-name items and more. The online auction will open for bidding on February 1, 2025.

    Event attendance is not required for interested individuals to participate in both the Delightful Dining raffle and Online Auction. Tickets for the Delightful Dining raffle and access to the Online Auction are available at www.SamaritanNJ.org/Gala.

    All proceeds from the evening, including the Delightful Dining raffle and online auction, will support direct care for Samaritan patients and their families throughout South Jersey.

    For additional gala details, tickets or sponsorship information and deadlines, visit www.SamaritanNJ.org/Gala or contact Katelin Spooner at (856) 552-3239 or KSpooner@SamaritanNJ.org.