The shock had not worn off when George Gorman walked into the office of Bill McLaughlin in April of 2013. Gorman, who manages the relationships between Ricoh America and its largest New York metropolitan dealers, was more than a business associate to McLaughlin, then a top executive with Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office. They were good friends.
The aforementioned shock was the passing of Gorman’s daughter, Jillian, the previous month. She had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow, less than four years earlier. Jillian endured chemotherapy, three bone marrow transplants, a kidney transplant, two full years of dialysis and lengthy hospital stays. She passed away March 3, 2013.
During this life-changing event, what struck Gorman was the plight of other families with children battling life-threatening illnesses, balancing the desire to spend as much time bedside as possible while simultaneously dealing with all manner of living expenses and the added bills incurred in traveling and lodging during hospital stays. Gorman was more fortunate financially than most, but it was painful to see other families grappling with how to handle life’s other obligations while remaining alongside their stricken children.
Wanting to honor Jillian, a deeply empathetic young woman, Gorman and McLaughlin traded fundraising ideas, including a golf outing. Instead, what emerged from their brainstorming efforts was The Jillian Fund. Little did the pair know the journey they and countless other individuals—many within the office technology dealer space—were about to embark upon. More than 10 years later, and $3 million-plus in proceeds generated to help reduce the financial sting that accompanies having a family’s world turned upside down, Gorman, McLaughlin and friends have done much to honor her legacy.
“To get through grief is to embed yourself in something that is greater than you,” Gorman explained.
For the past 11 years, The Jillian Fund has been a unifying event, bringing dealers, manufacturers and all other members of the office technology equipment universe together for a special cause. The annual Jillian Gala has been an outlet for the industry to gather, dress up, play games and enjoy a wonderful meal, as well as hear inspirational patient testimonials. It was a night to celebrate Jillian’s memory and those of countless individuals who followed similar journeys.
The final Jillian Gala will take place Friday, March 15 at The Venetian in Garfield, New Jersey, in the shadow of the Big Apple. Dubbed the 2024 Legacy Gala, the theme is “Jillian’s Disco Ball—Save the Last Dance for Me.” The evening, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will include a dinner, dancing, casino and silent auction, in addition to presentations by board members and honored guests.
Click here to purchase tickets for The Jillian Fund Gala or to make a donation.
The beneficiary/distributor of the funds raised—Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital—will take the helm of the fundraising endeavor. The Jillian Fund will meld into the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, an organization with a robust infrastructure that will not only support the original mission but expand it as well.
The Gala may end, but the efforts her passing spurred will move forward.
“Not in a million years did George and I think, after we got together and talked about a golf outing, that it would ever turn into something as big as it did,” McLaughlin said. “We didn’t anticipate its size, its scope, nor did we ever anticipate the amount of time, energy and effort that it would take as this effort continued to evolve.”
The Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation will use a $750,000 pledge from The Jillian Fund to create The Jillian Fund Patient Support and Navigation Program, which will include a social worker and other support personnel to help patients and their families with continuing cancer care. The program will furnish resources including psycho-social support, during and after treatment, at the pediatric oncology and intensive care units at the Children’s Hospital. Fundraising efforts will continue to provide financial grants for families to address meals, transportation and medication.
“In order for an organization like The Jillian Fund to be successful, and to work in concert with an organization as large as Hackensack Meridian, it really requires a full-time staff,” McLaughlin noted. “None of us are full-time. We wanted to make sure that Jillian’s legacy continued in perpetuity, and that they would continue to live out the vision and the mission that we set forth.”
Bob Goldberg, retiring counsel for the BTA and a board member of The Jillian Fund, noted the Gala required weeks and weeks of preparation, weekly Zoom calls as the event approached, generating sponsors and items for the auction, plus selling tickets and tables. He’s confident the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation will build upon what the board has accomplished.
“It was also a tremendous rallying point for the Patriot Pack, as we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in our rides across the country,” Goldberg added, noting the Pack is pivoting its efforts toward funding educational scholarships for veterans and their children.
As another fitting tribute to The Jillian Fund and the families it has supported in the past 11 years, the Children’s Cancer Institute Social Work Program will be renamed for The Jillian Fund. A plaque in the children’s hospital will memorialize its contributions.
It took many contributions to make The Jillian Fund and the gala a success. Many donations and sponsorship support have come from outside of the industry as well. In addition to Gorman, McLaughlin (chairman) and Goldberg, board includes Susan and David Quackenbush, Lisa Monica, Stephanie Cisne, Kevin Doyle, Howard Haber, Bob Hay, Jackie Kaufman, Michael Kaufman, Sarah Lembo and Laurie Sofield.
For Gorman, the past 11 years have taken him on a journey of love as well as one of grief—he also lost his son, Zachary, to suicide. Gorman will continue to work with organizations including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Covenant House, along with other groups whose mission resonates with him.
“What I’ve learned, and what people who have surrounded me encouraged me to do, was to pick myself up by the bootstraps and find things that are bigger than me,” he said. “I’ve had the support of many wonderful people, including the board, Bill, Ricoh and Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office. I’ll be forever grateful to them.”
Those who know Gorman well are heartened to see that despite the travails he’s endured, life is good. “I’m so incredibly happy right now, and I think when people see me and hear me speak, they must ask, ‘Will he ever find happiness?’ That’s what my kids would want…that’s their message to me. I’m married now, have a beautiful wife, and I’m just grateful for what everybody’s done. It’s a continuing journey and my children will always be with me.”
Tickets are available for the Jillian Gala. Click here to purchase or to make a donation.
