Bayshore Oktoberfest Celebration to Benefit New Emergency Care Center

Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center Foundation will host the fourth annual Benefit for Bayshore: an Oktoberfest Community Celebration on Friday, October 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. For the first time since its inception, this signature fundraising event will move from the Bayshore Medical Center campus to a new venue, Stillwell Stables in Colts Neck, NJ, to allow for construction of the hospital’s new Emergency Care Center slated to break ground in October 2019.

“We are ecstatic that the groundbreaking for the medical center’s new Emergency Care Center is right around the corner,” says Frank Citara, MBA, chief hospital executive at Bayshore Medical Center. “The Oktoberfest Community Celebration has been raising funds in preparation for this expansion for the last several years, and while a great deal has been raised, community support is still critical. This event gives area residents an opportunity to have a fantastic time while supporting an important cause.”

The Benefit for Bayshore Oktoberfest Community Celebration is hosted and chaired by Carol Stillwell and Mary Ann Larkin, with our immediate past leaders, Dr. and Mrs. Asaad and Dima Samra, serving as honorary chairs. It will feature an Oktoberfest-inspired menu, beverages, décor and entertainment. The event is supported by capstone sponsor, Stillwell-Hansen, Inc. Registration is $250 per person, and 50/50 raffle tickets and many sponsorship opportunities are available, including advertisements in the virtual ad journal.

“Mary Ann and I are delighted to welcome the Oktoberfest Community Celebration to Stillwell Stables,” says Carol Stillwell, owner, president and CEO of Stillwell Hansen, Inc. “This is an historic moment for the medical center and it’s truly an honor to be able to contribute to such a meaningful project that will have a tremendous impact on the health and wellbeing of our community.”

The new Emergency Care Center is a 32,000 square-foot addition, which will be located on the Garden State Parkway side of the campus, and will provide space necessary for the medical team to address the growing health needs of the community, including state-of-the-art technology to treat a host of medical ailments.

“In addition to serving as the chair of the board of trustees for Bayshore Medical Center Foundation, I’m also a first responder who brings many people to the current Emergency Care Center,” says Serena DiMaso, New Jersey Assemblywoman. “The physicians and nurses provide fantastic care for our community, but they need more space to treat the volume of patients – many of whom are very ill – that come through their doors every day. That’s why it was important for me to make a gift in support of this project, and to encourage the community to attend Oktoberfest on October 11.”

Funds raised from events such as the Oktoberfest Community Celebration also brings Meridian Health Foundation closer to its $150 million fundraising goal as part of the organization’s Giving Heals campaign. Giving Heals supports four important initiatives: strengthening oncology services, improving clinical outcomes, enhancing the patient experience and broadening clinical research and academic programs at the following Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties: Jersey Shore University Medical Center, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, Bayshore Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center.

“Philanthropy plays a major role in making projects like the new Emergency Care Center at Bayshore Medical Center possible,” says Joseph Stampe, president and chief development officer of Hackensack Meridian Health Meridian Health Foundation. “This project will touch tens of thousands of people every year, often when they least expect it. Donor support can help to ensure that they will have the best care available to them when and where they need it most. We encourage anyone interested in learning more to join us at the event or reach out to have a conversation. There are a variety of ways in which people can lend support.”

To register for the Oktoberfest Community Celebration, or to learn more about the event, please visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org/BMCOktoberfest or contact Meagan O’Flaherty, special events officer, at 732-751-5101 or meagan.oflaherty@hmhn.org. To learn more about the Giving Heals campaign, please visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/givingheals.