Jack Reagan has been part of the National Business Products Industry (NBPI) group for over 25 years, helping the NBPI raise millions of dollars for City of Hope®. In fact, he's a 2019 NBPI Hall of Fame inductee and serves on the organization's executive council.
Jack's commitment to City of Hope isn't limited to what NBPI does nationally. He also leads City of Hope fundraising activities at S.P. Richards, an independent, full-service national wholesaler based in Atlanta, where he is executive vice president. Here, he shares how industry volunteers can make a lasting impact — and highlights a few practical ways to get started.
Q. City of Hope Atlanta opened in 2023 near S.P. Richards' headquarters. Has that changed the company's relationship with City of Hope?
Jack: Having City of Hope nearby is really important to us. Many employees and families have personally relied on City of Hope Atlanta for care. The minute you walk into the center, you know it's first-rate. I've been to events there and talked to patients who other hospitals gave three months to live. Now, they are heading in a positive direction, thanks to City of Hope.
Q. Tell us about the events S.P. Richards hosts to support City of Hope.
Jack: S.P. Richards hosts the Heritage of Hope Golf Outing and Vendor Summit — an annual event in Orlando, Florida, that we started in 2005. The first day includes business meetings and presentations for our vendors, followed by a nice dinner. The next day is a golf tournament. All the proceeds go to City of Hope. It's a very big deal — people come back year after year.
Q. S.P. Richards employees participated in Atlanta's first City of Hope Walk for Hope last year. What is your team planning for this year's walk?
Jack: Last year's walk was great, with music, a DJ, balloons and perfect weather. Our employees came out in special T-shirts; it was a day to feel good about the company and the people working here.
This year, we want to get more and more people involved because we think many people only know a little bit about City of Hope. They don't know the whole story and all the good things that happen there. We are collaborating with several other office supply companies based in Atlanta, including Georgia-Pacific, Kimberly-Clark, Newell and The Highlands Group. We will hold friendly competitions between companies and departments to raise participation and money.
Our goal is to create a fun environment to support a great cause. We want to create the excitement and awareness this event deserves. I'm co-chairing the event with Susan Gambardella, president of the North America Region at Kimberly-Clark Professional.
Q. How will you engage S.P. Richards employees in the walk?
Jack: We started our three-month campaign with a breakfast at our headquarters featuring a speaker from City of Hope Atlanta. We continue to promote the walk by email and social media channels. We want to educate and engage people within our organization to maximize our reach inside and beyond our walls.
Our goal is to have at least 200 walkers from S.P. Richards. We want everyone at our company to feel welcome, from our execs to those working in our warehouses. Whether people give $5 or $5,000, they’re part of something that matters.
Q. What role does philanthropy play in your company's identity — and how does City of Hope fit into that picture?
Jack: S.P. Richards has always tried to be more than a wholesale office products company. It's particularly important to do that now because our younger employees want to work at a place that cares about the community.
City of Hope has been our No. 1 charity for as long as I can remember. Today, S.P. Richards is part of a fifth-generation family company called CNG, with a strong reputation for philanthropy. CNG is extremely supportive of our commitment to City of Hope. And City of Hope makes it easy for us to champion the mission. They're always ready to answer our questions and support our events, whether by sending a speaker to an event or providing informational materials.
Q. What advice would you offer to companies wanting to deepen their commitment to City of Hope?
Jack: The most important thing is getting to know City of Hope staff and hearing some of the patient stories. When you do that, you get hooked and start looking for ways to help.
If you want to host a fundraising event, try to tie it into your business or make it fun. You're in good shape if you can do both simultaneously, like we do with our supplier summit and golf tournament.
Walk for Hope raises vital funds for cancer research and life-giving cancer treatments at City of Hope. This year, we're hosting live walks in Greater Chicago and Atlanta (October 4), Phoenix (November 1) and Los Angeles (walks in LA and Orange County on November 2). "Virtual" participants can walk any time.
