David Ormsby, chairman of The Friends of Nathaniel Witherell, announced the Westport-based Dalio Foundation has pledged $1 million to Project Renew: The Capital Campaign for Nathaniel Witherell, a drive to upgrade the short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing care center owned by the town of Greenwich.
The Dalio Foundation gift, the largest in Nathaniel Witherell”™s history, has brought the $7 million Project Renew campaign to the half-way mark, and has inspired the creation of the Half-Way Home Challenge to raise an additional $1.5 million by April 30. The $1.5 million equals the sum of the Dalio Foundation gift as well as two additional gifts totaling $500,000 from anonymous donors.
“We are extremely excited about this most generous gift and are deeply grateful to the Dalio Foundation, which has demonstrated, in the finest sense, what it means to be involved and engaged in our community,” Ormsby said. “Their gift is an outstanding example of the Dalio family”™s tradition of giving back to the Greenwich community.”
Debby Lash, co-chairwoman of Project Renew with Karen Sadik-Khan and Ormsby, said the foundation gift has added considerable momentum to the campaign. “The $1 million grant is the most exciting moment of our campaign,” she said. “It is stimulating enormous interest and enthusiasm in Project Renew. We are absolutely thrilled.”
Project Renew is Nathaniel Witherell”™s first capital campaign in its 110-year history. Among its goals is to up the number of private rooms from 26 to 64; to eliminate 10 four-bedded rooms; and to remodel and redecorate 86 resident rooms.
The architectural and engineering design for Project Renew reflects Witherell”™s historic significance ”“ in August 2010, the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It employs 275 and hundreds more serve as volunteers there.
Total construction costs are projected at $26 million, with the State of Connecticut providing up to $12 million across a 20-year period. The Friends of Nathaniel Witherell is committed to raising at least $7 million. The remaining costs will be paid for by the town of Greenwich.
To learn more, call Allen Brown, executive director, at (203) 618-4323 or Scott Neff, development director, at (203) 618-4227.
