Mackenzie Health has announced the largest single donation in its history – a $15-million joint gift from the De Gasperis and Muzzo families – to help build the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.
The De Gasperis and Muzzo families, separately and together, have a long history of philanthropy, including many contributions to Mackenzie Health.
“We are very grateful for this generosity, which will benefit the people of Vaughan and neighbouring communities for decades to come – providing exceptional health care for patients and families close to home,” Ingrid Perry, President and CEO of Mackenzie Health Foundation, said.
Construction of the new hospital – a 1.2-million square-foot, state-of-the-art health care facility featuring fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices – began last fall and is making significant progress toward the scheduled opening in 2020.
Building on generous donations already received, the $15-million gift is a major step in Mackenzie Health Foundation’s fundraising campaign, which is being spearheaded by a dedicated 33-member cabinet co-chaired by Greg Sorbara and Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua.
The Foundation has committed to raising $250 million in community contributions toward the total $1.6- billion project cost.
“This gift has been in development for more than three years, and we are extremely pleased to see it come to fruition,” Perry said. “We will continue to reach out to individuals and organizations in our ongoing fundraising drive and we hope they will follow the examples set by the De Gasperis and Muzzo families and by all our very generous donors who have made a commitment to our new hospital.”
To recognize these exceptional contributions, the west wing of the new hospital building will be named the De Gasperis-Muzzo Tower.
“We are making great progress, both in construction and fundraising,” Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO of Mackenzie Health, said. “Thanks to tremendous community support, we are well on our way to completing this exceptional new health care facility.”
Mackenzie Vaughan Fundraising
Mackenzie Health Foundation is spearheading the Exceptional Care Belongs Here campaign, which is committed to raising $250 million in community contributions toward the total $1.6-billion project cost of the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.
This is the largest fundraising drive ever led by a community hospital in Canada.
The campaign is spearheaded by a dedicated 33-member cabinet, co-chaired by Greg Sorbara and City of Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua.
$70 million
(approx.) raised in the campaign so far
20 gifts
of $1 million or more
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE INCLUDED:
- $15 million from the De Gasperis and Muzzo families – the largest single donation in the history of Mackenzie Health (previously York Central Hospital)
- $10 million from Magna International
- $10 million from the Vic De Zen family
- $5 million from the Sorbara family
- $3 million from the De Meneghi family
- $2 million from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community
- $2 million from the Berwick Family of King
In recognition of their $15-million gift, the west tower of the new hospital will be called the De Gasperis- Muzzo Tower.
Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital
Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will be the first hospital in Canada to feature fully integrated smart technology, which features systems and medical devices that can speak directly to one another to maximize information exchange.
As part of Mackenzie Health’s two-site hospital model, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and the existing Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, supported by a comprehensive network of community-based services, will provide increased access to state-of- the-art health care closer to home for the residents of York Region.
HOSPITAL SIZE (square feet)
1.2 million
* 350 beds with capacity to expand to 550
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$1.6 billion
* Including $1.3 billion government grant
MORE TRANSFORMATIVE GIFTS
