March of Dimes to Present FDR Visionary Award

On Friday December 12, 2014, the March of Dimes will host its Celebration of New Beginnings breakfast, honoring government and corporate leaders by presenting them with the “FDR Visionary Award” for outstanding leadership and support of the mission of the March of Dimes - to prevent premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. The event will be held at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township beginning at 8:00 am.

This year’s honorees are John F. Crowley, Chairman and CEO, Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. and The Honorable Stephen Sweeney, New Jersey Senate President. Fred Hipp Jr., Senior Vice President of Government Relations for Virtua, is the honorary committee chairperson.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney is being honored for his outstanding leadership in public service for our state, and for being a strong voice in support of children and adults with developmental disabilities. He has served on the Gloucester County Board of Freeholders and as Freeholder Director. He has represented New Jersey’s Third Legislative District since 2002 and was chosen to be Senate President by his fellow senators beginning in 2010. He has demonstrated a remarkable ability to combine the various demands of his family, career and public service, and as a result, has made significant contributions to the quality of life in New Jersey.

John Crowley is being honored for his determination and dedication to developing a drug to treat Pompe disease, a severe and often fatal neuromuscular disorder, after his two children were diagnosed with the disease in 1998. Crowley and his family were profiled on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and they are the subject of a book by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand, “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million and Bucked the Medical Establishment in a Quest to Save His Children.” The major motion picture, “Extraordinary Measures,” starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford, was inspired by the Crowley family.

The Celebration of New Beginnings event was founded by March of Dimes and Pfizer 13 years ago to increase public awareness of the progress, promise of cutting-edge research, and public health programs in the areas of maternal and infant health in New Jersey.

“The March of Dimes would not survive without the support and leadership of such individuals as John Crowley and Senate President Sweeney. We are honored to be presenting them with the FDR Visionary Award. We appreciate their help in working together for strong, healthier babies,” said Gina Radice, Executive Director, North Division, New Jersey Chapter of the March of Dimes.

For more information on this event and to purchase tickets visit marchofdimes.org/newjersey or contact Carol Roberts at croberts@marchofdimes.org or (973) 296-8808.