Pardee Hospital Foundation announced today that Brian Robinson’s $1 million fundraising challenge for the Foundation’s Capital Campaign has been met. Nearly 180 people donated to the campaign with individual gifts ranging from $25 to $50,000. Of those donors, 64 gave $1,000 or more to the campaign and 55 people made their first contribution to Pardee Hospital Foundation. The challenge’s three largest gifts were all from new donors who were inspired by Robinson’s challenge to the community and decided to pledge their support to their new hometown as well.
Brian Robinson pledged $500,000 to the $6 million Capital
Campaign for the new Pardee Cancer Center. In a surprise public announcement at
the Pardee Hospital Foundation’s 19th Annual Women Helping Women
luncheon on October 28, Robinson issued a challenge to the community to raise
an additional $250,000, which he would match dollar for dollar to reach a total
of $1 million. This is the largest gift to the campaign since it began in April
2015, pushing the total raised to date to $5 million from 515 donors.
“The enthusiastic response to Brian’s challenge has been
gratifying and heartwarming,” said Kimerly Hinkelman, executive director of
Pardee Hospital Foundation. “With less than $1 million to go, we are reaching
out to people to encourage them to help us finish this historic achievement and
become a part of the future of health care in Henderson County. Not only will
the Cancer Center treat and cure thousands of our friends, family members and
neighbors over the next 25 years, but the Health Sciences Center will help to
educate and produce a majority of health care providers who will take care of
us for the next 50 years.”
“I am honored to match the community’s generous $250,000
contribution, bringing the total to $1 million for the new Cancer Center at
Pardee,” said Robinson. “Our community is strongest when we work together and I
am proud to call Henderson County my home.”
Pardee Hospital opened its new Cancer Center in December
2016 through an innovative collaboration with Henderson County, the City of
Hendersonville, Wingate University and Blue Ridge Community College. The new,
state-of-the-art health sciences building also houses Pardee Surgical
Associates as well as existing programs in allied health care, pharmacy, and
physician assistant studies from Blue Ridge Community College and Wingate
University.
Robinson is originally from east Tennessee and became
affiliated with the region as an actor with the Flat Rock Playhouse many years
ago. He only recently decided to put down roots in Henderson County to make it
his permanent residence, buying a home in Flat Rock in 2015. When asked why
this gift and why give to the Cancer Center at Pardee Hospital, Robinson notes
that he’s been blessed with good health his whole life and like so many others,
took it for granted. It was on a recent two-week intensive health retreat in
California that Robinson says he underwent a transformative experience that at
the time wasn’t apparent. It was only upon his return and a visit to the Cancer
Center with his friend and capital campaign committee member Debbie Rouse that
the true impact of his retreat surfaced. This behind the scenes tour was
instrumental in Brian’s “aha” moment.
Pardee Memorial Hospital Foundation was approved as a
nonprofit foundation in January 1996. The Foundation exists to educate and
inspire the community to support Pardee Hospital. Since its inception, the
Foundation has generated more than $30 million in pledges and cash gifts for
Pardee services. For more information, visit www.pardeehospitalfoundation.org
or call 828-233-2700.
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