Springdale Couple Gives $1M to ACH Northwest
by August 1, 2016 8:09 am 1,295 views
Gary George, chairman of Springdale-based poultry company George’s Inc., and his wife, Robin, have made an additional gift of $1 million to the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale.
The chapel in the new hospital will be named the Robin George Chapel in recognition of Robin’s long-time involvement with the Pastoral Care program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, and in honor the couple’s continued generosity.
“Our family is grateful to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for the care our children and grandchildren have received. We are so pleased our support of Arkansas Children’s Northwest will provide care close to home for families in the region,” Robin George said in a statement. “We hope the chapel at Arkansas Children’s Northwest will provide comfort, strength and be a peaceful place for families during times of need.”
Robin and Gary George are longtime friends and advocates for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Robin has served on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation Board since 2002. Shortly after her term began, she worked with the Pastoral Care Department to create a prayer list for patients at ACH. Today, that list is emailed to more than 1,000 people who pray weekly for the children whose parents or caregivers have placed them on the list.
“The George family has a personal history with ACH and is deeply invested in making children better today and healthier tomorrow,” says Fred Scarborough, Chief Development Officer for Arkansas Children’s, Inc. “The George and Evans family gift of 37 acres in Springdale allowed us to take the first step in building Arkansas Children’s Northwest. With this latest gift, they are championing an essential element of providing a full spectrum of care close to home for the children in this region.”
The gift brings the announced total raised by the Northwest Arkansas community for the construction of the hospital to $30.5 million.
In August 2015, Arkansas Children’s Inc. announced plans to build a freestanding children’s hospital in Springdale.
The 37-acre construction site sits west of Interstate 49 between Don Tyson Parkway and Arkansas Highway 412, at the northeast corner of South 56th Street and Watkins Avenue.
The land, situated catty corner from Arvest Ballpark, was donated by the families of Gary and Robin George and David and Cathy (George) Evans.
Current plans include 233,613 SF of inpatient beds, emergency care, diagnostic services and clinical space. The campus will also include walking trails, gardens and a helipad and refueling station.
Arkansas Children’s Northwest is being designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark., and FKP Architects of Houston, Texas. Nabholz Construction is overseeing construction. The hospital is scheduled to open in January 2018.