PARSIPPANY — Over 900 attendees gathered for Community Hope’s 28th Annual Sparkle of Hope Gala on Thursday, November 14, to honor Rob Davis, Chairman and CEO of Merck. Held at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, the event raised more than $1 million to support Community Hope’s mission of serving more than 1,100 veterans, veteran families, and individuals with mental illness each year. The gala remains one of New Jersey’s largest fundraising events.
Launched in 1997 by Fred Hassan, then CEO of Pharmacia & Upjohn, the Sparkle of Hope Gala was created to expand community-based mental health services alongside advancements in pharmaceutical treatments. Over the past 28 years, the event has raised more than $22 million, uniting leaders across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in support of a shared cause. Mr. Hassan, currently Chairman of the Caret Group and Director at Warburg Pincus, continues to serve as Founding Chair and hosted this year’s event, with Brent Saunders, Chairman and CEO of Bausch + Lomb, serving as Leadership Chair.
Community Hope recognized Rob Davis and Merck for their long-standing partnership and dedication to supporting veterans. For over two decades, Merck has been a steadfast supporter of the Sparkle of Hope Gala and has worked with Community Hope and partners such as Legal Services of Northwest Jersey and Lowenstein Sandler to provide pro bono legal services to homeless veterans through the Veterans Justice Initiative. Since its inception in 2011, this program has delivered legal counseling on 946 separate matters, assisting over 400 veterans from Community Hope’s Hope for Veterans Program.
The 2024 Honorary Co-Chair was Adam Schechter, Chairman, CEO, and President of Labcorp. The event was co-chaired by notable industry leaders, including:
- Olivier Bogillot, Head, North America General Medicines
- Robert Bradway, Chairman and CEO, Amgen
- Victor Bulto, President, Innovative Medicines, US, Novartis
- Terrie Curran, CEO and President, Phathom Pharmaceuticals
- Kenneth Frazier, Executive Chairman, Merck
- Adele Gulfo, Global President and Board Director in the Healthcare Sector
- Christopher Hite, Vice Chairman, Royalty Pharma
- William Lewis, Chairman and CEO, Insmed
- Kevin Lobo, Chairman and CEO, Stryker
- Mark McKenna, Founder and CEO, Mirador Therapeutics
- Joseph Papa, CEO, Emergent BioSolutions
- Tarek Rabah, CEO, Otsuka America
- Brent Ragans, President, Ferring US
The Sparkle of Hope Gala serves as a premier networking event, bringing together leaders from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, finance, and related industries to champion Community Hope’s mission.
Looking ahead, the 2025 Sparkle of Hope Gala will take place on Wednesday, November 12, at 5:30 p.m. at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains. Will Lewis, Chairman and CEO of Insmed, will be honored as the recipient of the 2025 Sparkle of Hope Award.
For more information about the gala or Community Hope’s impactful work, visit communityhope-nj.org.
About Community Hope
Community Hope, a NJ non-profit organization, provides housing and support services to thousands of veterans, veteran families, active military members, and people living with mental illness each year. Since 1985, our team of over 170 employees has provided clinical case management, housing (emergency, transitional, and affordable), and homelessness prevention services enabling thousands to recover from mental illness, homelessness, substance use, and poverty.
To learn more about Community Hope, visit communityhope-nj.org and follow us on Instagram: CommunityHope_NJ, Twitter: @CommunityHopeNJ, and Facebook: facebook.com/CommunityHopeNJ.
