Kirk and Cynthia Dupps Give $1M To Arkansas Childrens Northwest
by July 11, 2016 2:40 pm 681 views
Kirk and Cynthia Dupps have donated $1 million to the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) in Springdale. The 37-acre campus is scheduled to open in January 2018.
In 2014, the couple’s grandson Jimi was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Jimi and his parents, KC and Josef, spent more than 100 days at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Jimi is now in remission and ready to begin Kindergarten this August.
“We know as a family how badly our area needs a children’s hospital,” Kirk Dupps said in a statement. Dupps is retired from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and a co-founder of Community First Bank of Harrison. “This gift is a stretch for us, but Cynthia and I feel it’s one of the most important things we can do. We are making the commitment to dig deep and make this our focus for the next five years.”
The Dupps are now chairing the annual Color of Hope Gala on Friday, Aug. 5, at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Proceeds of the event will go toward construction of the hospital, which is under way just off Interstate 49 in Springdale.
“Arkansas Children’s is grateful to Kirk, Cynthia, KC and Josef for their leadership and for their dedication to providing a healthier tomorrow for the children in the state,” Fred Scarborough, president of Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation, said in a statement. “This gift will ensure children in Northwest Arkansas have excellent pediatric care close to home, because all children need Children’s.”
In August 2015, ACH announced plans to build a freestanding children’s hospital in Springdale on land donated by Robin and Gary George, Cathy and David Evans and their families. 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.
To date, the hospital has received $27.5 million for the construction of ACNW. Walmart and Walmart Foundation donated $8 million, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. donated $5 million, Will Golf 4 Kids and Color of Hope event committed $5 million over the next five years.
Site preparation is already well underway across the street from Arvest Ballpark west of Interstate 49. The general contractor for the construction project is Nabholz Construction Corp. of Conway. FKP Architects of Houston, Texas, and Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Little Rock/Fayetteville are leading the design.
The hospital will include 24 inpatient beds, 30 emergency department rooms, five operating rooms and 30 clinic rooms.