Community meets $1M Fundraising Goal for Private Hospital in Griffith
Thursday August 7, 2014
Griffith City Council is delighted to announce that the local and surrounding communities have hit the $1M fundraising goal for the St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital Griffith.
Mayor John Dal Broi made the announcement at the special fundraising concert featuring Italian performer Patrizio Buanne held at the Griffith Regional Theatre on Saturday, August 2.
“Our community has shown heart, grit and determination in meeting the challenge of raising just over $1M in the past two-and-a-half years and I am so proud as mayor and resident of this city to be part of this exciting achievement,” Mayor Dal Broi said. “From donations as small as $10 to donations as big as $100,000 or more, residents in our community have demonstrated their passion and commitment to getting this private hospital off the ground in order to provide an important health service, in addition to the Griffith Base Hospital, to our region and beyond,” Councillor Dal Broi added.
“In addition, we would like to especially thank the Casella and Spagnolo families for the nearly $300,000 they have contributed in fundraising as well as the land, valued at $1.7 million, they donated to be used as the site for the private community hospital.”
Recent major contributions that helped the community fundraising efforts meet the $1M mark included pledges of $100,000 each from Peter Woods, proprietor of Milbrae Quarries, and the Rotary Club of Griffith, a $50,000 pledge from Stuart McWilliam, $50,000 from the Lions Club of Griffith, $50,000 from the Trevisani Nel Mondo organisation, $50,000 from Warburn Estate, $20,000 from Australian Grain Link and Terra Ag Services, more than $26,000 raised from the Twilight Fundraising Dinner held this year, and nearly $109,000 raised from the 2013 and 2014 City to Lake Fun Runs.
Achieving this milestone reflects the spirit that prevails in the Griffith region, according to Robert Cusack, CEO St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney.
“It is a unique and cohesive community that St Vincent’s is proud to be associated with. Your support and enthusiasm for the St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital Griffith is inspiring in the true sense of the word and will help push the momentum on getting this exciting project up and running,” Mr Cusack said.
Mayor Dal Broi said planning on the design of the private hospital and the Murrumbidgee Clinical Teaching and Learning Centre is continuing and when completed will be followed by the tender process for the building works. Construction of the private community hospital is anticipated to commence in late 2014.
St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital Griffith will house a 20-bed inpatient unit and 20 day-only beds with the co-located Murrumbidgee Clinical Teaching & Learning Centre. Combined with the existing Griffith Base Hospital, the interlinked clinical and teaching campus of some 150 hospital beds and related community and primary care infrastructure will establish a critical mass of healthcare services for the people of the Riverina.
