Nearly 1,000 to Attend Community Hope Gala to Honor Celgene Corporation’s Executive Chairman

Parsippany, NJ — Nearly 1,000 guests are slated to attend Community Hope’s 21st Annual Sparkle of Hope Dinner Auction on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 to honor Robert J. Hugin, Executive Chairman of the Celgene Corporation. The gala is one of the largest fundraising events in New Jersey and benefits Community Hope’s programs to rescue more than 1,000 veterans and veteran families annually from homelessness.  The gala also supports Community Hope’s residential programs serving more than 100 individuals daily in recovery from mental illness.  This year’s gala will be held at the Venetian in Garfield, New Jersey.

This year’s record-breaking event is led by Brent Saunders, Chairman, President and CEO of Allergan plc. The Sparkle of Hope event has raised more than $12 million and continues to grow into an event that brings together the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in support of a common cause. This will be Community Hope’s largest gala in the 21 years since Fred Hassan, then-Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacia & Upjohn, founded the charity event to enhance  community-based services to coincide with pharmaceutical advances in mental health treatment. More than two decades later, Mr. Hassan, presently Chairman of IM HealthScience and Special Limited Partner of Warburg Pincus, continues to serve as Founding Chair of the event.

Community Hope is recognizing Mr. Hugin for his dedication to Community Hope’s mission and in acknowledgment of Celgene’s long-time support of the charity and its veterans programs. Mr. Hugin is Executive Chairman of Celgene Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for unmet medical needs in cancer and immune-inflammatory disease.  Mr. Hugin served as Chief Executive Officer of Celgene from June 2010 through February 2016.  He joined Celgene in June 1999 and has been a Director of the company since December 2001.  Mr. Hugin is past Chairman of the Board of The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton University, Danaher Corporation, The Medicines Company, and The Darden Foundation, University of Virginia.  He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Atlantic Health System and of Family Promise, a national non-profit network assisting homeless families.  Prior to joining Celgene, Mr. Hugin was a Managing Director with J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc. Mr. Hugin received an AB degree from Princeton University in 1976 and an MBA from the University of Virginia in 1985 and served as a United States Marine Corps infantry officer during the intervening period.
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The 2017 Honorary Chairs are Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and CEO of Merck, and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno.  Co-chairing this year’s event are Mark Alles, Chief Executive Officer, Celgene Corporation; Albert Bourla, Group President, Pfizer Innovative Health; John F. Crowley, Chairman and CEO, Amicus Therapeutics; Terrie Curran, President, Inflammation & Immunology, Celgene Corporation; David Epstein, Executive Chairman of Rubius Therapeutics and Executive Partner of Flagship Pioneering; Aaron Graff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Ferring International Center SA; Thomas N. Kendris, President of Novartis Corporation; Douglas J. Langa, Senior Vice President, Head of North America Operations and President, Novo Nordisk Inc.,; Kabir Nath, President and CEO of N.A. Pharmaceutical Business, Otsuka America, Inc., and Shaji Procida, President and Chief Operating Officer of Eisai, Inc.

Palladium sponsors of the event are Accenture, Allergan Foundation, Celgene Corporation and Robert J. Hugin. Sponsoring at the Premier level are Moelis & Company and White & Case LLP. Presenting Sponsors include The Boston Consulting Group; Eisai Inc.; Ferring Holding Inc.; FoxKiser LLP; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hassan; J.P. Morgan; Merck; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Pfizer Inc and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.  Diamond Sponsors include, Allergan plc; Amneal Pharmaceuticals; Cognizant; Ernst & Young, LLP; Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto; Goldman Sachs & Co; Lowenstein Sandler, LLC; McKinsey & Company, Inc.; Morgan Stanley; Novo Nordisk Inc.; Physician’s World; Reed Smith, LLP; Teva Pharmaceuticals; Turner Construction Company; Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.