Dress The Heroes

7 CATHLEEN DAVEY PRESIDENT HOLY NAME FOUNDATION Greetings Friends, “Without heroes,” said novelist Bernard Malamud, “we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.” Dress the Heroes is Holy Name’s first fundraising event after the emergence of COVID-19, and with it, we celebrate many different heroes, all of whom began as “plain people.” Women and men in the prime of life, faced with a dev- astating medical diagnosis of MS; frontline workers and behind-the-scenes innovators responsible for the care of patients with COVID-19 and the protection of an entire com- munity; friends, neighbors and other partners inspired to fill the voids left by unmet needs during extraordinary times. I’m so very honored to “dress” our heroes during my first fundraising initiative for the Holy Name Foundation. To be sure, it’s unlike anything I or the Medical Center have done before. But securing and celebrating philanthropy is different right now, and COVID-19 is continuing to alter how we raise funds. Our changing world demands that our meth- ods of accomplishing important fundraising work evolve also. In everything we do, creativity and maintaining an open mind are essential. On behalf of the Holy Name family, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Selma Blair, our heroic cover person, and The Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation MS Center Ambassador. Ms. Blair, who has used her voice and person- al experience to draw worldwide attention to MS, is a huge inspiration not only to people with the disease, but to every- one who admires her strength and intelligence. Thank you to all our donors, especially Inserra Super- markets, Inc., The Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation, Joseph M. Sanzari, Inc., Biogen, and Bristol Myers Squibb. Your gifts fund the programs and services, treatments and research so desperately needed to enhance the quality of life for people with MS while science searches for a cure. You set a remarkable example for others to emulate. Our most sincere thanks to the premier shops at Westfield Garden State Plaza, especially Candace Kristin, Christopher Calvaruso and Lisa Hermann. None of this would have been possible without your extraordinary commitment. While in the grip of COVID-19, Holy Name took the unprecedented approach of appealing to donors via social media and was overwhelmed by the tremendous response from people near and far, whose concern for our healthcare heroes generated thousands of gifts, the vast majority from new donors. I hope that our Dress the Heroes opportunity will be another revelation, one to which you will open your hearts and contribute generously. So as we celebrate our beautiful heroes (many of whom grace these pages), I want to thank everyone who has placed their support and trust in Holy Name, and to ask individuals who have not partnered with us in the past to explore this magazine and take our Dress the Heroes message to heart. After living and working in the Bergen County community for so many years and admiring the mission and progress of Holy Name, I’m witnessing, firsthand, how this place truly is different – and I can’t wait for you to see for yourself. My heartfelt thanks, HOLY NAME