J.B. Hunt Donates $5 Million to Support Hospital Construction
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has donated $5 million toward the capital campaign to help pay for the construction of a new pediatric hospital campus in Springdale.
President and CEO John Roberts made the announcement May 19 at the company’s Lowell headquarters, along with representatives of Little Rock-based health care organization Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
ACH is building a 233,000-SF hospital campus on 37 acres across the street from Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.
The hospital is scheduled to open in January 2018.
“For more than 50 years, J.B. Hunt has believed in the importance of reinvesting in communities,” Roberts said. “The construction of a children’s hospital in this community is a historic and necessary next step for the advancement of pediatric health care in the region. We are proud to step forward as a champion for children.”
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Walmart Foundation have also announced their support of the project with an $8 million gift. (See Page 21.)
The hospital’s fundraising entity, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation, hopes to secure about $70 million in private support to help pay for the estimated $167 million construction cost.