Capital Campaign Boosted By $10 Million Anonymous Gift

ASPEN, Colo. — A $10 million gift from an anonymous donor helped push the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation’s capital campaign beyond its halfway mark. This donation will assist in benefiting the hospital’s current multimillion-dollar master facilities plan.

The Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation is a nonprofit that oversees all charitable donations given to the hospital for its expansion and renovation as well as for other routine capital projects and future improvements and programs.

Its plan features a four-phase modernization and expansion project, which will ultimately impact clinical and non-clinical areas. Initially, the new construction will have to surround the old hospital, after which the existing structure will be renovated. In 2015 alone, an additional $12 million has been committed to the overall effort.

“ommitted to the overall effortlinical and non-clinical areas. Initially, the new construction will have to surround the old hospital, after which the existing structure will be renovated. In 2015 alone, an additional $12 millio”ommit Dan Bonk, AVH’s chief executive officer, in a statement.

The $10 million anonymous gift is believed to be the largest gift ever given to the Aspen Valley Hospital. The donor saw the goal of need for having quality health care available in our community and wanted to help in a very significant and impactful way. This is a transformational gift for the organization.

“We are very pleased that not only our vision has been shared and embraced by the community, but also that our plans to improve the overall delivery of health care in our community have inspired this incredible gift,” Bonk said in a statement.

Thus far, the foundation has reached $33.5 million out of its $60 million minimum target. It continues to reach out to philanthropic-minded people in the community who both understand the need to support the long-term project but who also have the capacity to make an impact.

“This gift is groundbreaking on so many levels,” said Archer Bishop MD, Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation chair, in a statement. “When a donor makes this kind of investment in our organization, they are making a statement that they believe in the direction we are moving, and they want to accelerate the pace at which we get there.”

Although the project may span more than a decade until complete, the hospital must remain operational 24/7.