Stride with a Purpose in Support of Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at the Inaugural Bonita Stanton, M.D., Memorial 5K Run/Walk

Funds raised to support scholarships for talented physicians of the future

Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine is pleased to announce its first ever Bonita Stanton, M.D., Memorial 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, October 15 at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield. Proceeds from the inaugural Bonita Stanton, M.D., Memorial 5K will directly benefit the established Bonita Stanton, M.D., Scholarship Fund at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, which will provide vital scholarships to future physicians accepted into the highly-sought-after medical school. 

In January of 2022, Hackensack Meridian Health lost a beloved leader and true friend when Bonita Stanton, M.D., the founding dean of Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and president of its Academic Enterprise, unexpectedly passed away. Dean Stanton was a prolific researcher, author and educator committed to health care equality. Her legacy extends from the impoverished corners of the globe to the most prestigious halls of academia, including Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine - the medical school she helped create in a new mold amid the promise of a better 21st century future. 

Dean Stanton’s leadership and mission has structured Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine’s unique curriculum to foster teamwork and a humanistic focus on community wellness through its Human Dimension program. The program integrates biomedical, behavioral, social and population sciences and is placed in the context of the patients and communities, which touches underserved cities across New Jersey.

“We are so pleased to host the inaugural Bonita Stanton, M.D., 5K Run/Walk this year,” said Sheila Wolfinger, executive director, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “Dean Stanton was truly admired by all who were lucky enough to know her, especially her colleagues and students. She had such a profound impact on her students through her kindness, support and medical teaching, so much so that this event was highly requested by them! It is only right that we honor her memory through raising funds to offer scholarships to the next generation of physicians at the school she founded.  I look forward to a beautiful day celebrating her life!”

"Bonnie Stanton was a history-making educational leader, and a committed runner," said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., the current president and dean of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. "This event honors her legacy in the best way - by helping support the great doctors-to-be from the school she founded as a culmination of a great career."

The Bonita Stanton 5K Run/Walk is a family friendly event suited for all ages and is sanctioned by the USA Track and Field. 

This year’s sponsor of the Bonita Stanton, M.D., 5K includes A Better World, a foundation established by Dean Stanton that was created to support initiatives near and dear to her heart, including medical education. 

To register or purchase a sponsorship, visit GiveHMH.org/Stanton5K. To learn more about the event or how you can support Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, please contact Sheila Wolfinger at sheila.wolfinger@hmhn.org.