Dallas community pledges major support for new Parkland hospital
DALLAS – As building progresses on the largest new hospital construction project in the country, the ‘I Stand for Parkland’ capital campaign continues to roll, reaching the $100 million mark three years after its kickoff.
In March, an anonymous donor pledged $5 million to the new hospital.
In addition, Parkland Foundation received a $250,000 gift from the Joe M. & Doris R. Dealey Foundation to construct a memorial garden in honor of President John F. Kennedy on the new hospital campus.
Founded to honor the late Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey, Joe Dealey, Jr. and his brother and sisters carry their legacy forward by offering support to historic preservation efforts and numerous public health and education institutions in Texas, with an emphasis on Dallas. Trustees of the Dealey Family Foundation include Joe Dealey, Jr., his sister, Pamela Dealey Petty, Carolyn Dealey Glenewinkel, Branson K. Bywaters and Stuart M. Bumpas.
“Parkland Foundation’s invitation to honor the life and memory of our nation’s 35th president with a memorial garden is a humbling and a significant honor for which the entire extended Dealey Family will be always appreciative,” said Dealey, Jr.
He continued, “The sincere hope of the Dealey Family Foundation and descendants of G. B. Dealey is that the Kennedy Garden always be a place of healing, hope and reflection for Dallas County.”
Most recently, the Hillcrest Foundation pledged $1 million to build a new Parkland.
Created by Mrs. W.W. Caruth, Sr. to provide financial support to charitable organizations for the advancement of education, the promotion of health and the relief of poverty, the Hillcrest Foundation has extended the Caruth family’s generosity to the people of Texas since 1958.
Mrs. W.W. Caruth, Sr. was from a pioneer family who settled in the Dallas area in 1848. Several Caruth generations owned and managed farms and ranches, which the family later developed into real estate properties as Dallas became a major metropolitan area. Each succeeding generation has been characterized by a pioneering spirit, vision, courage, hard work and generosity.
“For more than half a century, Hillcrest Foundation has provided support to Texas charitable organizations for the advancement of education, the promotion of health, and the relief of poverty. Our recent grant award of $1 million dollars to the new Parkland Hospital fits perfectly within Hillcrest’s ongoing mission,” said David Ross of the Hillcrest Foundation.
“Parkland’s reputation as a leader in the field of neonatal and women’s health services was a significant factor in the Hillcrest Foundation’s decision to make this far-reaching, positive impact on our community,” added Ross.
Nancy Halbreich, co-chair of the Parkland Foundation’s capital campaign, agrees.
“Parkland is a critical institution with a ripple effect reaching every person in the community, including those who never set foot in the hospital itself,” said Halbreich. “A perfect example is more than half of the practicing doctors in Dallas trained at Parkland, so it’s very likely your own physician is a product of this fine hospital.”
Physicians have also answered the fundraising call by serving on the Physician Council, which is composed of a diverse group of medical leaders in North Texas who are connected with Parkland, either through training, practice or appreciation of the hospital’s mission.
The council has raised more than $907,150 through physician giving. Each dollar is matched by the Dr. Bob and Jean Smith Foundation, for a total of $1,748,300.
After hearing about the launch of the I Stand for Parkland campaign in 2009, the Smith family enthusiastically pledged $1 million to help build a new Parkland campus.
“We were inspired to give to Parkland by the Simmons and Rees-Jones gifts, and by the voter support in the bond election,” said Patty Smith, one of the couple’s five children. “We want more bright doctors here, and to get the best and the brightest, you’ve got to have the best facility.”
The Smith family knows firsthand the critical role Parkland plays in training new physicians. Both Dr. Bob Smith and his father, Dr. Edgar Smith, completed their residencies at Parkland.
Added Don Glendenning, “Every private dollar we donate is part of the elevation from ‘good enough’ to ‘truly great.’ The new Parkland hospital will ensure that Dallas will offer superlative health care for all residents of Dallas County.”
Parkland Foundation seeks to secure $150 million in philanthropic support needed to help fund the $1.27 billion, 862-bed hospital, adding desperately needed space in critical areas such as the emergency room, operating room, burn center and neonatal intensive care unit. Scheduled to be completed in 2014, the 2.5 million-square-foot campus is located on the northeast corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and Medical District Drive.
