Seattle Children’s, the largest children’s hospital and pediatric research center in Washington state, says it has received the second largest donation in its history from the late Seattle businessman Bruce Leven, who passed away in September.
The gift, announced Tuesday, is expected to exceed $60 million and will help the organization offer financial assistance for children and families in need of care through the newly created Bruce Leven Endowed Fund.
“We are deeply grateful for Bruce’s incredible generosity in leaving behind a lasting legacy that will help us say yes to hope, care and cure for every child in our region,” Seattle Children’s CEO Dr. Jeff Sperring said in a statement. “Kids need us now more than ever. It is gifts like these from our community that will ensure we will be able to meet these growing needs now and into the future.”
The donation is part of the organization’s $1 billion “It Starts With Yes campaign,” which launched in November. The campaign will build out new clinics and raise funds to help families pay for care, as well as funding new research into cutting-edge immunotherapy treatments that are developed specifically for kids.
Leven, a longtime Seattle businessman and racecar driver, is known for heading Bayside Disposal and Bayside Automotive Group as well as Lake Union Air, a commercial float plane business.
Seattle Children’s provides $164 million in financial assistance every year to 63,000 patients and their families. The system saw more than 420,000 total patient visits last year.
