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 co-chairs Deborah 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 direct 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 Nandini Natrajan, Ph.D., 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 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.
