About 200 employees from New Jersey life sciences companies gathered at Insmed and Sanofi headquarters in Bridgewater and Morristown to assemble “Totes of Hope: Hospital Care Kits.” These tote bags, filled with items such as crayons, coloring books, playing cards, blankets, ginger candy, and nonslip socks, are intended for pediatric cancer patients at the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center in New Brunswick.
The event was part of the second annual “BioNJ Gives Back” initiative. BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart stated, “Celebrates the power of community and compassion where employees give from the heart.”
Each tote bag included a personal message of hope written by participants who decorated and packed them. Kathleen Arcidiacono, vice president of nursing at the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, said, “I can tell you, when our patients receive these gifts, their faces light up. It means so much to them, especially when they’re in a hospital and going through cancer treatment.”
Rodger Van Allen of the RWJ University Hospital Foundation added, “These events are emotional deposits not only for the patients, but for the participants here today who are helping restore dignity to our patients; giving them hope. … It puts a smile on [patients’] faces and makes a difference in their day, which could be very long.”
Assemblyman Roy Freiman attended his second BioNJ Gives Back event. He commented that such gatherings are “inspiring,” adding: “[These people] all work from an intellectual and commercial standpoint to save lives, but to sit down and work on an emotional level is a way of connecting in a different way. This is an extra way of touching patients in their hearts.”
The idea for BioNJ Gives Back came from Insmed Chair and CEO William Lewis. At BioNJ’s Annual Dinner Meeting & Innovation Celebration two years ago he encouraged the biotech industry to dedicate time for community volunteering.
Nicole Schaeffer, chief people strategy officer at Insmed and longtime BioNJ volunteer, explained that Lewis suggested expanding these philanthropic efforts globally. “At Insmed, we host a day like this every year where our employees around the globe participate and give back in a variety of ways,” Schaeffer said.
