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RMH New Hospital Campaign Exceeds $12.5 Million Goal
By rhildebrand @ 7:05 AM :: 1120 Views :: Syndicated Articles
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Contact: Merv Webb
Vice President, RMH Foundation
540-564-5959
Rockingham Memorial Hospital officials have announced that the “Building for a Second Century of Service Campaign” to raise money for the new hospital has exceeded the original $12.5 million goal by 11.1 percent.
According to campaign officials, to date, a total of $13,887,169 has been committed from 1,070 donors. Of this amount, pledges and cash gifts totaled $13,637,169 and the remaining $250,000 will come through bequests.
“We truly celebrate this outstanding achievement for our hospital and our community,” noted Capital Campaign co-chair Joe Funkhouser. “Once again, the community has rallied to the needs of RMH, and more importantly, to the health care it will provide to our community for the next 100 years.”
He added, “While we’re thrilled at this level of achievement, we’re also asking our community to attain a challenge goal of $15 million by the time the new hospital opens it doors in mid-2010.” He indicated additional funds are needed to pay for the increased costs of construction due to the rapid increase in the cost of materials. He said individuals may also give to the specific needs of furnishing art work for the new hospital, landscaping and environmental or “green” projects connected with the new RMH.
Merv Webb, vice president of the RMH Foundation, said initial planning for the campaign began in early 2006, but the campaign was not announced to the public until May 2007. The campaign was led by George Pace and Joe Funkhouser as co-chairs and Robert. H. “Twig” Strickler as honorary chair.
The campaign plan was carried out through six divisions: Leadership Gifts, Boards, Business, Medical Staff, Community, and Administration/Employee. According to campaign officials, all six divisions exceeded their dollar goals. They also reported that both the RMH Hospital Board and the RMH Foundation Board had 100% participation in the campaign.
Division chairs or co-chairs are: Leadership Gifts: Paul S. Cline, Mensel Dean Jr., Zanette Hahn; Boards Divisions: Barbara Stoltzfus, Richard Johnson, Brenda Lenhart; Business Division: Neal Menefee, Peter Yates; Medical Staff: Dr. Charles Henderson III, Dr. Charles Kern; Community Division: Richard Myers, John Neff; Administration/Employee: Jim Krauss.
“The success of this campaign is directly linked to the tireless dedication of the caring individuals who provide excellent service at RMH every day--the employees, physicians and volunteers,” said RMH President & CEO Jim Krauss. “Over the years, they have created a bond with the community we serve. In addition, we also had excellent leadership on our campaign committee. These individuals dedicated themselves to make the new hospital a reality and we owe them a great debt of gratitude.”
Krauss noted that the RMH Volunteer Auxiliary doubled its original pledge to $500,000 and that both the Hospital Board and RMH Foundation Board had 100 percent participation. For him, one of the high points of the campaign was the RMH employee campaign. Challenged with a goal to give $500,000 for the new hospital, RMH employees committed $613,000--more than 20 percent over their goal. More than 150 employees joined the “Second Century Club” by committing 30 minutes of pay per pay period for three years. Commented RMH employee Julie Alderfer Stauffer, who joined the Second Century Club, “By supporting RMH, we know that we are helping improve access to healthcare for all members of our community.”
Campaign co-chair George Pace attributed the success of the campaign “to our citizens and business enterprises who wanted to support our vision of providing new, state-of-the-art health care facilities for a second century of service to our community. Clearly, given the magnitude of the $300 million investment in the new hospital, it was very important to receive monetary support from the community to reduce our debt burden.”
Webb acknowledged the pace-setting $2 million gift from the Zanette Showker Hahn Family Foundation for the new cancer center and the $2 million gift from the Fred & Virginia Funkhouser Foundation for the new women’s health center. Webb also noted, as an example of generous giving, a young couple expecting a baby who donated their $1,800 government economic stimulus check to the new hospital. “To me, it’s as though they were saying they want a great hospital to be there for their new baby. It was truly a sacrificial gift,” he said.
According to Webb, RMH engaged a fundraising consulting firm (Community Counselling Service) for the campaign, and the fees paid to the firm were 5.7 percent of the total amount raised. He indicated that in such a campaign, an industry standard of expenses under 10 percent is considered acceptable. A spring 2009 event is planned at the new hospital to recognize volunteers and leaders in the campaign, as well as to thank major donors.
Major gifts to the campaign (through Nov. 30, 2008) in excess of $100,000 are as follows:
$2,000,000:
Fred & Virginia Funkhouser Foundation
Zanette Showker Hahn Family Foundation
$500,000 to $999,999:
Robert Hopkins and Lorraine Warren Strickler
RMH Volunteer Auxiliary
Merck Company Foundation
$200,000 to $499,000:
Judith S. Strickler
Jerry & Becky Morris
Daily News-Record/Rockingham Publishing
Charles W., Jr. and Dorothy Wampler
Bill & Bonnie Lou Wampler
Orden L. Harman
Wayne & Joan Ruck
The Community Foundation
Cargill
$100,000 - $199,000:
Anonymous
Bill V. Neff, Sr.
George & Ann Pace
Trumbo Electric, Inc.
The Rockingham Group
SunTrust Bank
Riddleberger Brothers, Inc.
Ralph & Anne Cline
Joseph K. II, & Sallie Funkhouser
Jim & Vicki Krauss
Houff Foundation
Harrisonburg Physicians for Anesthesiology
Harrisonburg Emergency Physicians, PLC
Dr. Noland M., Jr. and Eleanor Canter
Dr. J.F. Wine
Albert R. Gillespie and Louise C. Gillespie Charitable Trust
John VerStandig & VerStandig Broadcasting
Karl D. & Barbara B. Stoltzfus
Lawrence & Linda Wilt
The Frazier Quarry, Inc. in memory of Robert Y. and Linda B. Frazier
McDonald’s of Harrisonburg and the family of Mr. & Mrs. A.P. Boxley III
Barry K. Kelley and Becky Messerley
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