Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: Samaritan-hospice

  • 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.

  • Cause and effect: Samaritan golf event raises $235K

    Christine Harkinson/The Sun
    Chris Rollins (left to right), chief development officer at Samaritan; Roy Fazio and Cliff Mancine, co-chairs of Drive FORE! A Good Cause; and Samaritan’s president and CEO Phillip Heath at the organization’s annual golf tournament on June 23.

    Samaritan’s 35th annual golf tournament Drive FORE! A Good Cause helped support the organization’s services on June 23 at Little Mill County Club in Marlton.

    The event had 200 participants this year and was presented by the Richardson Family Dealerships. The 18-hole, scramble-format tournament also featured an awards reception and dinner and an online auction, as well as an appearance by the Phillie Phanatic.

    The Lexus Champions for Charity – sponsored by Lexus of Cherry Hill – also made a return to this year’s event, giving golfers an exclusive chance to play at Pebble Beach in California.

    The tournament is something that Samaritan CEO and president Phillip Heath looks forward to every year.

    “For me, it’s almost eight years of wonderful community interaction and professional interaction,” he said. “And to see the community’s commitment and love for the work that we do, as well as for the joy of the game … it’s great.

    “As we raise awareness around the work that we do, people get excited,” he added. “They learn new things that we’re doing that’s different from the past.”

    Founded in Moorestown in 1980, Samaritan was one of the first hospices in the country and is now one of the state’s leading providers of hospice care, palliative (comfort) medicine, at-home primary care, grief support and other services. The one message Heath emphasizes is that Samaritan provides all-around care.

    “Samaritan is more than just hospice,” he explained. “We’re really serving the community in a great way, and particularly the frail and elderly in our community and those who are most vulnerable, so we’re there to support them.”

    Now in its 45th year, Samaritan, Heath said, continues to grow its health-care services.

    “We’ve evolved as health care has evolved,” he noted. “We’ve evolved as our community has evolved, and I believe that today we’re continuing to be thought leaders in the area of end-of-life care (and) in the area of serious-illness care and helping people to reconnect through social connections.”

  • Samaritan golf tourney supports nonprofit’s services

    Special to The Sun
    “Our annual golf tournament is more than just a day on the green – it’s a special tradition that brings our community together in support of our patients across South Jersey,” said Samaritan president Phillip Heath.

    Samaritan’s 35th annual golf tournament – Drive FORE! A Good Cause – will be held at Little Mill Country Club in Marlton on Monday, June 23.

    All proceeds from the event will support Samaritan services that benefit seriously ill patients and their families, as well as those who are grieving a loss.

    “Our annual golf tournament is more than just a day on the green – it’s a special tradition that brings our community together in support of our patients across South Jersey,” said Phillip Heath, president and CEO of Samaritan. “This tournament would not be possible without the kind generosity of our returning golf committee co-chairs, Cliff Mancine and Roy Fazio, all the members of our golf committee, and, of course, our sponsors, volunteers and golfers.

    “I would like to thank everyone who helps make this tournament a meaningful and successful celebration each year.”

    Presented by The Richardson Family Dealerships, the 18-hole, scramble-format tournament will begin with registration at 10 a.m.; shotgun start is 11:15 a.m. The event will end with a reception and awards dinner at about 4:30 p.m.

    The Lexus Champions for Charity, sponsored by Lexus of Cherry Hill, will make a return to this year’s tournament to offer an exclusive chance to play at Pebble Beach in California. The opportunity to bid on this auction will take place during the post-event banquet. Proxy bidding will be available for those who are unable to attend. There will also be on-course contest opportunities sponsored by Challenge Sponsor Mancine Optical, 50/50 raffles and more.

    “It’s a powerful thing to be a part of,” noted Chris Rollins, chief development officer at Samaritan, of the golf tournament. “This is another way that our community – year after year – shows support for Samaritan’s life-enhancing care. Many of those above-and-beyond services that differentiate us … are things made possible because of the generosity of the community that we serve.

    “It’s invigorating to see the community step up and take advantage of that chance to support us and our services,” he added, “because what they’re really doing… is caring for their neighbors and their friends and family.”

    Samaritan will once again host an online auction of exclusive golf rounds, sports tickets and other prizes, allowing golfers – as well as those who can’t attend the tournament – to bid on a variety of items. The online auction will open on Monday, June 16, at 6 p.m. Pre-register online at www.samaritanNJ.org/Golf.

    Samaritan is currently wait-listing golf-only registrants, but sponsorship opportunities – available through Wednesday, June 4 – and dinner-only ticket options remain available. For more information on that or volunteer opportunities for the event, contact Katelin Spooner at (856) 552-3239 or KSpooner@SamaritanNJ.org. Golfers who want to be placed on the wait list can also contact Spooner.

  • 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/.

  • Samaritan earns new accreditation

    Samaritan has achieved Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education.

    The accreditation allows the organization to efficiently offer continuing-education credits for multiple disciplines, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers. Samaritan is the first hospice organization in the nation to receive the accreditation; only 160 institutions and organizations across the country have done so.

    “Samaritan has a long-standing history of providing continuing education to our care-team members, including nurses and social workers,” said president and CEO Phillip W. Heath. “Our commitment to professional growth and development was only reaffirmed when we launched the Boccolini Institute for Education, Research and Innovation in 2020.”

    The institute – renamed in honor of former Samaritan President and CEO, Mary Ann Boccolini – provides evidence-based practices and resources for health-care professionals.

    The Joint Accreditation was founded in 1988, but has since grown to include 10 accrediting bodies. It offers multiple professions in health care the opportunity to be accredited for continuing-education activities through a single application process; fee structure; and set of standards, streamlining the process.

    “Interprofessional continuing education is transforming the health-care system,” said Dr. Sara Pagliaro, Samaritan’s chief medical officer.

    With establishment of The Mary Ann Boccolini Institute for Education, Research and Innovation, Samaritan continues to offer a variety of inter-professional continuing education (IPCE) opportunities, including courses on trauma-informed care and inter-disciplinary hospice and palliative care, clinical professional and student rotations and a variety of educational courses to expand professional breadth of knowledge.

    For more information, visit www.samaritannj.org.

  • 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.