Hepatitis B Foundation Announces Annual Fundraising Event to Go Virtual on April 24

Doylestown, April 8, 2020 – In this challenging time, the Hepatitis B Foundation continues to serve people living with hepatitis B, their families and health care providers, and planning continues for its principal annual fundraiser. The foundation is adapting its 2020 Crystal Ball Gala from an in-person event to the nonprofit organization’s first “Pajama Gala.”

This online, web-based event will be held on Friday, April 24, from 7-8 p.m. EST. Details are posted on www.hepbgala.org, with a link to registration, which is free and open to the public.

This live, virtual fundraiser will feature an online silent auction with a wide array of items, such as a Philadelphia Eagles helmet signed by Carson Wentz and other players, an overnight stay at the Kalahari Resort and a Florida adventure that includes Busch Gardens and the Kennedy Space Center. Other packages offer excellent local art, jewelry and gift cards to some favorite places. A link to the auction, which will be open from 10 a.m. EST April 20 through 10 a.m. EST April 25, is posted at www.hepbgala.org.

The Hepatitis B Foundation will present its prestigious Baruch S. Blumberg Award during the event to John M. Taylor, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, in recognition of his valuable contributions to hepatitis B and hepatitis D research. The foundation will present its Community Commitment Award to Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, Esq., for her outstanding work at the U.S. Department of Justice, litigating cases of discrimination against people living with hepatitis B.

“While we can’t hold a face-to-face event due the coronavirus pandemic, we are hoping that our supporters will join us for this unique online experience,” Jean Holmes, vice president for institutional advancement at the Hepatitis B Foundation, said. “We’re inviting everyone to use their imagination, perhaps wear their favorite PJs and comfy slippers, participate in the online auction and share photos on Facebook and Instagram. Staging the gala as a digital experience also allows us to offer the event for free, making it accessible to a much wider audience than in the past. We feel that nonprofits need to flexible and creative in challenging times and continue to communicate with our supporters in as many ways as possible.”

The event’s main sponsors are Dynavax Technologies Corporation and Gilead Sciences.

The foundation has chosen the hashtag #pajamagala for the fundraiser.