Break Clays, Fund Scholarships for Physicians of the Future at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Sporting Clays Event on June 2

May 19, 2025 - Nutley, NJ - The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine will host a Sporting Clays Outing at The Hudson Farm Club in Hopatcong, NJ, to benefit the Scholarship Fund at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine on Monday, June 2.

The event, hosted by Robert O’Hara, founding member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Board of Governors and The Hudson Farm Club, and Illana Raia, also a member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Board of Governors and The Hudson Farm Club, will feature a day of sportsmanship and outdoor enjoyment on the club’s 4,000 acres of expansive farmland, with one of the most attractive and challenging shooting layouts in the country. 

“We are incredibly excited and honored to again be the beneficiary of the Sporting Clays outing at the beautiful Hudson Farm Club, with proceeds supporting scholarships at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., president and dean, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “The cost of medical education continues to rise, and we believe that our students – the next generation of physicians – should be focused not on financial burdens or stresses, but on learning, growing and becoming the very best clinicians and leaders they can be. We are deeply grateful to Bob O’Hara and Illana Raia for their generous support and unwavering commitment to our mission. Their belief in what we do, and in the students we educate, helps us shape a healthier future for all.”

The sporting clays event will be conducted in groups of up to four shooters with an NRA certified range safety officer at each station. For non-shooters, activities include fly fishing lessons and archery conducted by professional staff. 

“We are so pleased to bring back the Sporting Clays Outing in support of Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, thanks to Bob O’Hara and Illana Raia, our dear friends and committed trustees, for another incredible year,” said Sheila Wolfinger, executive director, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “We first held this event a few years ago and it was a tremendous success. Our donors understand the critical need for scholarships to ensure that the next generation of physicians have access to high-quality medical education. The rising cost of medical schooling and training makes scholarships more essential than ever, and we truly want to help relieve financial burdens for our students so they can focus on their futures in medicine. As we look ahead to the future of health care, we are excited for another great event and hope to welcome many new supporters to join us!”

At Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, located in Nutley, NJ, students learn within an integrated curriculum in a team-oriented, collaborative environment, based on integration of the biomedical, behavioral, social and health system sciences; grounded in context and community; active application of knowledge; building lifelong learning and adaptive expertise; and medicine considered as a team sport.  

In addition, the Human Dimension is at the heart of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine curriculum. Through the service-learning experiences and integrated curriculum, students come to understand the many determinants of health – including the Social Determinants of Health, the personal, economic and environmental factors that impact health outcomes. Determinants fall under several broad categories: policy, social factors, health services, behavior, biology and genetics and access. 

Funds raised from this event will contribute to Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation’s Be The Difference campaign, launched in September 2024 with a goal of $1 billion. The Be The Difference campaign is a transformational effort focusing on four key pillars: enhancing the delivery of patient care, accelerating groundbreaking research and discovery, expanding equitable access to advanced care and revolutionizing medical education while supporting the nursing profession. Through this ambitious campaign, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation aims to reshape health care for patients, clinicians and the diverse communities it serves, paving the way for a brighter, healthier future. 

To register or purchase a sponsorship, visit GiveHMH.org/SOMClayOuting. To learn more about the event or how you can support Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, contact Sheila Wolfinger at sheila.wolfinger@hmhn.org. 

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Hackensack Meridian Health assumed its independent operation in July 2020. The school achieved full accreditation in February 2023. The school’s vision is that each person in New Jersey, and in the United States, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, will enjoy the highest levels of wellness in an economically and behaviorally sustainable fashion. The School’s unique curriculum focuses on linking the basic science with clinical relevance, through an integrated curriculum in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. The school prides itself on outreach, through programs like the Human Dimension, which is active in communities across New Jersey. 

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.  

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2024 Report on Giving. 

In September 2024, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation publicly launched its Be The Difference campaign, a one billion dollar fundraising initiative built upon four pillars, each designed to support Hackensack Meridian Health’s vision for New Jersey, including better delivery of patient care; revolutionizing medical education and supporting the nursing profession; accelerating research and discovery; and ensuring more equitable access to advanced care. To learn more about the campaign, visit HMHBeTheDifference.org.

To make a gift in support of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, visit GiveHMH.org/Donate.