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36th Annual Westchester Medical Center gala brings two new endowments
Annual Westchester Medical Center Foundation fundraiser raises more than $3 million from supporters to help support the mission of the Medical Center
The Westchester Medical Center Foundation, a 501c(3) which supports the mission of Westchester Medical Center recently held its annual fund raiser. This year’s event which was attended by over 600 guests was held June 6th on the beautiful grounds of the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, NY.
The highlight of the evening, the announcement of a $1 million lead gift establishing the William Russell McCurdy Physician-in-Chief Endowment, which was created by Larchmont residents Steve and Kate McCurdy and their family honoring the memory of their son Will, a former patient of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital who lost his battle with Barth Syndrome in the fall of 2014.
“The gift is intended to draw attention to the exceptional care Will received while he was a patient over a 26 year period at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and, to continue to help position the hospital as a leader in healthcare regionally and nationally,” said Steve McCurdy, who is Chairman Emeritus of the Barth Syndrome Foundation. He and his wife Kate were both founding Directors of the organization.
“The spirit in which this donation was made rings familiar to many of us living in the community and associated with the Children’s Hospital and its humble beginnings,” said Zubeen Shroff, Westchester Medical Center Foundation Board Chairman. “It was the tragic loss of a child that sparked the grassroots campaign that in a short time grew into what is today, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.”
Dr. Michael Gewitz, Physician-in-Chief of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and Will’s Cardiologist, was named as the inaugural holder of the William Russell McCurdy Physician-in-Chief Endowment at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.
“We believe this will start a whole new chapter in how we will support, honor and recognize our physicians and other clinicians in the future,” said Shroff.
In an amazing show of support of the medical center, its mission and the patients we serve, a second million dollar donation was made to the Medical Center Foundation by Kathy and Jim Morrell, the owners of Pamal Broadcasting in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Morrell’s were on hand to help pay tribute to two of this year’s gala honorees; Mike Bennett and Kacey Morabito Grean, hosts of the WHUD Radio morning show—Mike and Kacey in the morning.
“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of so many of our friends and supporters,” Shroff said. “After we made the original announcement of the million dollar gift, it sort of snowballed and sparked a response from other guests who came forward and said that they too wanted to participate by endowing other physician leadership positions at the medical center.”
In the same spirit that built the children’s hospital, the McCurdy’s are allowing further contributions to the family’s endowment in order to enhance its value.
In addition to the two individual million dollar gifts an additional $1.2 million was committed to the foundation by other attendees at the event, including longtime supporters of the hospital and 2015 gala honorees, Herb and Sue Ann Redl, as well as the Simone family and the Hales family. “The continued support shown by our friends and supporters has really gone well beyond our expectations,” added Shroff.
About WMCHEALTH
WMCHealth is a 1,500-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, NY, spanning seven hospitals and several campuses and locations in the Hudson Valley. Its flagship, Westchester Medical Center, is the only regional resource for tertiary and quaternary care, covering 6,000 square miles in eight counties and serving more than three million people. WMCHealth employs more than 10,000 people, with nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1 and Level 2 Trauma Centers, the region’s only children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals and numerous health-related centers, programs and services, today WMCHealth is the leading and pre-eminent provider of integrated health in the Hudson Valley.
Visit www.wmchealth.org to learn more about how Westchester Medical Center is advancing care, right here in the Hudson Valley.
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