Grand River Hospital receives largest gift ever

From left: Grand River Hospital Foundation President and CEO Paul McIntyre Royston, Grand River Hospital President and CEO Ron Gagnon, hospital board of directors chair Sandra Hanmar and foundation board of directors chair Seth Jutzi. (Submitted)

The Grand River Hospital Foundation calls it “transformational.”

On Wednesday, the foundation announced it had received a $15 million donation from the estate of Ralph and Dorothy Kraft. The gift is the largest in the hospital’s 127-year history.

“It truly is transformational. It’s the kind of investment that you don’t often see,” said Paul McIntyre Royston, president and CEO of the Grand River Hospital Foundation.

“Our largest gift before then was in, I think, 2004. It was a $5 million generous donation when the cancer centre opened. This is just that big a deal, you don’t even see that often across Canada. The fact that the Kraft family left this as part of their estate for the community is just completely remarkable.”

McIntyre Royston said the hospital hasn’t earmarked the money for any specific projects or equipment yet, but it will be put toward three streams – patient experience, staff wellness and innovation.

“The vision with all of the funds is to strategically take advantage of opportunities when they arise in those areas,” he said.

The Kraft family is best known in Waterloo region as the owners of HiWay Market, which opened in 1952 on King Street East in Kitchener.

The hospital foundation announced the major donation Wednesday as part of its Care Never Stops Week fundraising campaign – other events include a free concert and drone show on Saturday night and a mural unveiling on Thursday.