Alumni make joint gift to support CHoR
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business alumni Timmy Nguyen (B.S.’11/B) and Joseph Stemmle (B.S.’13/B) have made a joint gift of $125,000 to Children’s Hospital Foundation, which works in support of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. A challenge grant from a local foundation will match their gift, resulting in a total impact of $250,000 benefiting the “Wonder Tower,” CHoR’s new home for inpatient, emergency and trauma services set to open in Richmond, Virginia, in spring 2023.
“As both graduates of the School of Business and good friends, Joseph and I wanted to come together to make an impact on research and care for children in our community,” Nguyen says. “We are proud to be able to play a small part with this gift.”
Nguyen and Stemmle’s gift will name the developmental therapy gym, lobby play area and a playroom in the epilepsy monitoring unit in the 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity to help CHoR provide top-quality care in an environment that is built for children, their families and the teams that take care of them,” Stemmle says. “The vision is for the children treated here to still get the chance to be kids.”
Stemmle and Nguyen have chosen to leverage their support by becoming Community Champions through a recent challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation. As Community Champions, Stemmle and Nguyen’s gift will be matched by the foundation when the challenge grant is completed, and they have agreed to advocate for the children’s tower within their personal networks.
“A lot can be accomplished by bringing people together,” Stemmle says. “There are so many unique ways to support the Wonder Tower campaign, so we want to find ways to donate that are meaningful to them. After everything we’ve all been through the last couple of years, this is a great initiative to support to have a strong impact on the Richmond community.”
Their ultimate goal, Nguyen says, is to support the growth of CHoR and raise awareness for the hospital as both a leading health care provider and a community hospital for all.
“Joseph and I are in a position to lead by example in the community and help people understand the collective impact we could have on children and their families,” Nguyen says. “We know our support will help provide many Virginians with access to lifesaving and time-sensitive care. I’m proudly looking forward to watching Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU grow and serve our community in transformational ways.”
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU President Elias Neujahr, too, looks forward to the impact the children’s tower will have on children and families.
“Timmy and Joseph’s gift speaks to how we are truly One VCU – they are helping us bring this new children’s tower to life,” he says. “Thanks to their generosity, our kids and families will have access to the amenities that make a children’s hospital so unique. Spaces for play, respite and just being a kid are critical to the work we do each and every day.”
Photo by Doug Buerlein.
To learn more about VCU and VCU Health’s commitment to children’s health, contact Tom Maness, associate vice president for development - health sciences/MCV Campus, at (804) 827-4936. To learn more about the Wonder Tower and ways you can support the campaign, contact Emily Toalson, director of major gifts for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, at (804) 827-4448.