Sparkle of Hope Charity Event to Benefit Homeless Veterans and Individuals in Recovery from Mental Illness

Community Hope will host its Annual Sparkle of Hope Dinner Auction on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, New Jersey.  The annual charity event benefits Community Hope’s residential programs serving 300 young adults and individuals a day in recovery from mental illness and substance abuse, including the nationally-acclaimed Hope for Veterans Program for homeless veterans.  

The fundraising event begins at 6 p.m. with an auction preview and cocktail reception, followed at 7 p.m. by dinner and an awards program paying special tribute to David Norton, recently-retiredCompany Group Chairman of Global Pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson, for his leadership role in this charity event for the past decade.  Community Hope recognized Mr. Norton as the Sparkle of Hope Honoree in 2001.  His dedication to improving the lives of individuals in recovery from mental illness subsequently extended to serving as Honorary Chair of the 2002 benefit and Event Co-Chair since 2003.

Also to be honored is Lonnel Coats, President and CEO of Eisai Inc, for his contributions and the Eisai Corporation’s commitment to advancing pharmaceutical breakthroughs.

 For his outstanding service to our service men and women, Community Hope is also honoring William S. Greenberg, a Partner of McCarter & English, LLP.  A retired Brigadier General, he was appointed on the recommendation of The White House and with the approval of the Secretary of Defense to serve as the current Chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, the principal policy adviser to the Secretary of Defense on matters relating to the Reserve Components. General Greenberg served as a member of The New Jersey World War II Memorial Commission. In June 2009 he received the highest honor granted by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, its medal of honor for his work in establishing the military legal assistance program, and especially in his public service representation of soldiers at Walter Reed. He received the Distinguished Service Medal from the National Guard Association of the United States.

The Sparkle of Hope Dinner was founded in 1997 by Fred Hassan, Chairman of Bausch + Lomb and Partner, Warburg Pincus.   Since then, the event has raised more than $5 million to provide housing and essential support services for 300 individuals each day.

The Sparkle of Hope benefits Community Hope’s residential programs for hundreds of young adults and individuals in recovery from mental illness and substance abuse, including the nationally-recognized Hope for Veterans® Program for homeless veterans.  Last year’s event raised $460,000 and drew nearly 450 guests in support of Community Hope.  This year’s dinner auction will also support Community Hope’s 450 Campaign, the agency’s expansion from serving 300 to 450 individuals daily.

Joining Mr. Hassan in co-Chairing the 2011 gala are Dr. Sol Barer, Former Chairman of the Celgene Corporation, Chair, BioNJ; John Crowley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amicus Therapeutics; Richard Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Telecommunications of DRS Technologies; Robert Hugin, Chief Executive Officer of the Celgene Corporation; Dr. Stuart Peltz, President and CEO of PTC Therapeutics Inc.; Cavan Redmond, Group President Animal Health, Consumer Healthcare, Capsugel and Corporate Strategy for Pfizer Inc; Kevin Rigby, Vice President and Head of Public Affairs and Communications for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; and Brent Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of Bausch + Lomb. 

Gala activities include a raffle drawing for vacation packages; a 50/50 cash raffle and a silent auction featuring original artwork and autographed sports memorabilia.  In addition, guests can participate in a raffle for chances to win nearly fifty other prizes.

For more information on the Sparkle of Hope Dinner Auction, visit the events section of Community Hope’s website at www.communityhope-nj.org or call the Development Office at (973) 463-9600, extension 308.  Individual tickets are $145 per person and table prices for event sponsors range from $2,500 to $25,000.

Founded in 1985, Community Hope was created by mental health professionals and family members of young adults with mental illness in 1985 with the opening of a single residence serving five individuals.  Today, the organization’s residential programs serve 300 individuals in recovery from mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse daily.

In 2004, Community Hope opened the largest program in New Jersey and the Tri-State area for homeless veterans and is developing two additional programs this year for veterans in need.  The Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program and the newly-opened VETS Program serve more than 100 homeless veterans a day and has helped more than 430 veterans rebuild their lives in the past six years.

Find Community Hope Online:

Website – www.communityhope-nj.org

Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Hope-Inc