Life Sciences Leaders Raise Funds for Melmark

Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, when other fundraising events were significantly downsized or eliminated, the volunteers behind an annual golf tournament benefiting Melmark stood by the popular hashtag #COVIDCantStopGood. Instead of calling off the event due to the unique circumstances 2020 has brought all of us, the Hubert J.P. Schoemaker Classic Advisory Board moved forward with its 15th annual fundraiser, weaving social distancing measures and virus mitigation best practices into all aspects of the event.

Members of the Schoemaker Classic Advisory Board are steadfast supporters of Melmark, a not-for-profit organization serving children and adults diagnosed with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Melmark’s Pennsylvania service division, located in Berwyn, has taken a significant financial hit amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With other service divisions in Andover, Massachusetts and Charlotte, North Carolina, the organization has incurred more than $2.6 million in unplanned expenses and income losses since mid-March. The losses and extra expenses are due to day program closures, the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), hero pay for those employees working with a positive case of the virus, increased sanitizing measures, the purchase of technological equipment for remote learning, and reconfiguring program work spaces to ensure optimal virus mitigation.

Melmark President and CEO, Rita M. Gardner, M.P.H., LABA, BCBA says the Schoemaker Classic Advisory Board’s unwavering support could not have come at a better time. “This has been a challenging year for all not-for-profit human service organizations,” said Gardner. “The pandemic has created new obstacles in an already underfunded field, and the support of our donor community is needed now more than ever,” she added. “This incredible group of leaders in the life sciences industry have their own COVID-19-related battles to fight, yet they stepped up again for the 15th anniversary of this event, and I am in awe of what they were able to accomplish.”

While the golf tournament looked different than in years past due to virus mitigation measures, this year’s Schoemaker Classic raised over $350,000, a figure on par with past events. Sponsors and their hosted golfers played at Gulph Mills Golf Club or Philadelphia Country Club. Registration was contactless, masks were worn within indoor areas, and everything outside of golf that would typically take place in person was moved online. Even golfer apparel was shipped directly to participants, and the dinner typically following the event was eliminated. The event’s annual raffle prize, a getaway to a Ritz-Carlton Resort in the U.S., was once again donated by NAI Geiss Realty Group and longtime advisory board co-chair, Jim Eaton. Video of the winning ticket being pulled was sent to all participants via email – a moment that would have typically been shared in-person at the post-event reception.

Despite the changes in format, everyone who participated had a great time. “We had to pivot quite a bit to pull off this event, but with proper safety measures in place we were able to continue Hubert Schoemaker’s work to help ensure ongoing strength and vitality for Melmark’s services.” said Rich Decker, Co-Chair of the Schoemaker Classic Advisory Board and partner of Simkiss and Block. “The programs at Melmark depend a great deal on fundraised dollars, and I cannot think of a better way for the life sciences industry to pull together during this unique time in all of our lives,” added Decker.

The Schoemaker Classic was founded in 2006 by Lee Ahrensdorf, President of Ahrensdorf and Associates, in memory of the late Hubert J.P. Schoemaker. Schoemaker was a leader and advocate in the region’s life sciences community and founder of Centocor. Schoemaker, whose eldest daughter lived at Melmark for 28 years, was well known for giving back to the community, especially to children and adults with special needs.

In addition to Decker, the advisory board is led by co-chairs Brad Michel, Managing Director at Accenture,Jim Eaton, Senior Vice President of NAI Geis Realty Group, Inc., and Shawn O’Brien, CEO and Board Director of Genomind. For a complete list of advisory board members, visit https://schoemakerclassic.com/about-the-advisory-board/.

Melmark is a not-for-profit organization providing clinically-sophisticated evidence-based special education, residential, vocational and therapeutic services for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, developmental and intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injuries and other neurological and genetic disorders. All specialized special education services are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and are designed based on each student’s individual needs.

Recognized as one of the leading providers in the country, Melmark has a combined staff of over 1,200 at its service divisions in Pennsylvania, New England, and the Carolinas and serves 1,000 individuals from across the country. To learn more, visit www.melmark.org.