Event to Raise Funds to Create Scholarship at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

HAMBURG, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES—Shake It Up! That's how The Cannata Report describes what's happening in the independent dealer channel of the office technology industry and how it will celebrate at its 37th Annual Awards & Charities Gala on November 10, 2022.

Sponsored by Hytec Dealer Services and ConnectWise, the 37th Annual Gala will honor the very best of the independent dealer channel and raise funds to create the Marie Cusumano Endowed Scholarship at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Each year, beginning in the spring of 2024, a scholarship will be awarded to a student selected by the school's academic board. The scholarship pays tribute to The Cannata Report Founder Frank G. Cannata's late sister. The Cannata Report has a long-standing relationship with Hackensack Meridian Health and has raised $1.3 million for various entities funded by Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation.

"The theme of our Gala salutes the dealers, vendors, and OEMs embracing new opportunities, investigating new avenues of diversification, and initiating fresh innovations. Last year, our Gala was themed Start Me Up, and this year we are taking it one step further with Shake It Up. Shaking things up is vital to the industry's evolution, and we want to celebrate how it empowers new growth and expansion throughout the channel," said CJ Cannata, president and CEO of The Cannata Report. Added Cannata, "This year's Gala holds special meaning as we pay tribute to my beloved Aunt Marie and my father's dear sister. She was incredibly generous and gave so much of herself to her friends and family.”

In addition to revealing the winners of the Frank Awards, as determined by The Cannata Report's Annual Dealer Survey, The Cannata Report will announce the recipient of the Frank G. Cannata Philanthropy Award established last year in honor of its founder. The Cannata Report will also give its Veterans Award to a member of the office technology industry for service to his country and fellow veterans. The Gala will be held at The Madison Hotel in Morristown, NJ.

In a new tradition established in 2020, a select group of dealers will serve as presenters and announce the winners of the Frank Awards. In a long-standing tradition, Robert Goldberg, general counsel of the Business Technology Association, will reprise his role as the event's emcee. HP will sponsor the Gala’s Cocktail Reception, and Xerox and Polek & Polek will sponsor the After Party.

To date, The Cannata Report's Annual Awards & Charities Gala has collectively raised $2.75 million for charitable organizations nationwide.

The day after the Gala, The Cannata Report will host its Annual Women Influencers Brunch to celebrate its 2022 Women Influencers: Holly DeSantis, EVP and CFO, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.; Leonie Forristal, CFO, Kyocera Document Solutions USA; and Moonsun Park, SVP Finance and CFO, Sharp Electronics Corporation.

Anyone interested in attending the Gala should contact Frank G. Cannata ([email protected] or CJ Cannata ([email protected]).