By Carmen R. Gonzalez and Jennifer Healy
More than 100 executives from the National Office Products Industry (NOPI) alliance gathered at City of Hope’s campus on Feb. 26 to kick off their 26th annual fundraising effort for the institution. The group boarded trams and took a guided tour that highlighted the unique aspects of the campus and City of Hope’s strategic plan, as well as the institution’s history.
This year’s NOPI Spirit of Life® honoree, Dick Gochnauer, president and chief executive officer of United Stationers, spearheads this year’s fundraising.
Several cause marketing projects, golf tournaments and other special events are integral to the fundraising. The year-long effort will culminate at a formal dinner honoring the philanthropy and professional achievements of Gochnauer, who will receive The Spirit of Life Award at the landmark Field Museum in Chicago on Sept. 25.
“City of Hope’s mission to rapidly and efficiently move scientific discoveries into more effective treatments is remarkable,” Gochnauer said. “Our industry has a rich history of support for the work of the institution’s physicians and scientists. I’m proud to be a part of our ongoing commitment to bring hope to cancer patients everywhere.”
The National Office Products Industry began as a small group of supporters in 1983. Today, it is a national organization with more than 800 regular members.
In 1998, NOPI undertook the responsibility of funding the building of the NOPI Center for Biomedicine & Genetics at City of Hope; less than a decade later, $1.5 million of the funds raised for the group’s 2007 campaign were earmarked for the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology.
Since its inception, the industry group has raised $62 million for City of Hope’s research and treatment programs. More information about NOPI is available at www.cityofhope.org/nopi.
