Samaritan’s 2026 Celebration of Life Gala Celebrates 46 Years of Caring & Raises Over $255,000
Samaritan recently held its annual Celebration of Life Gala, presented by Holman Enterprises, at the LIVE! Casino-Hotel in Philadelphia. The event, emceed by Meteorologist Kathy Orr, Weather Anchor for FOX 29 News, raised more than $255,000 in support of the not-for-profit’s life-enhancing services, which benefit seriously ill patients and their families, as well as those grieving a loss, throughout Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties.
This year’s Gala recognized Dr. Nandini Natrajan, The William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and United Way of Gloucester County as the organization’s Celebration of Life Honorees.
“Our annual Celebration of Life Gala ensures that our mission to provide comprehensive, quality care for patients and their families will be fulfilled,” said Phillip W. Heath, President and CEO of Samaritan. “The generosity of our attendees, Board of Trustees, Gala Committee and chair Theresa Savage, Honorary Co-Chairs Debra P. DiLorenzo and Kathleen A. Davis of DiLorenzo Davis Consulting, along with our amazing staff, volunteers and sponsors – including presenting sponsor Holman Enterprises – makes all the difference when looking back at over 45 years of incredible service and looking ahead to many more years of providing care for families in South Jersey.”
This year’s Gala included dinner, live music by Masquerade, dancing, an Online Auction that raised over $15,000, and the drawing of two winning tickets for Samaritan’s annual Premiere Culinary Passport raffle – John Romaska and Annette Gubernick were the lucky recipients of the eight fine dining experiences at top South Jersey and Philadelphia restaurants, valued at a total of $1,600.
Save the date for the 2027 Celebration of Life Gala, moving to April 10, 2027.
To view 2026 Celebration of Life Gala honoree videos and photo gallery, please visit SamaritanNJ.org/Gala.
To learn more about ways to support Samaritan, visit: SamaritanNJ.org.
About Samaritan:
Samaritan is a not-for-profit, independent organization locally founded in Moorestown, New Jersey in 1980 as one of the first hospices in the country. Samaritan is now one of the State’s leading providers of primary care at home, palliative medicine, hospice care, grief support, advanced illness care, education and advocacy. Samaritan serves patients and families in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties who are coping with the stresses of aging, serious illness or grief wherever they call home. Samaritan also has two dedicated inpatient hospice centers in Voorhees and Mount Holly. Beyond the services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance plans, Samaritan annually provides nearly $1M in donor-funded non-reimbursed care for patients and families in the South Jersey region. A thrift shop in Westmont also supports Samaritan services and programs. Samaritan is accredited by The Joint Commission; a member of the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation; and is a four-star hospice in the national We Honor Veterans program. For more information, visit www.SamaritanNJ.org.