- Posted on October 4, 2024
St. Mary’s largest single donation in history making waves on healthcare in Region
News Release
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. | Tues. Oct. 1, 2024
St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation has received its largest single donation – a gift that’s already making an impact on local healthcare, including providing a significant boost to the Regional Cardiac Care Centre.
The $11.1 million donation from the estate of Ralph and Dorothy Kraft will help fund the construction of a third catheterization suite (cath lab) at St. Mary’s, with roughly $4 million of the gift going toward the cath lab project.
The third cath lab at St. Mary’s – a multimillion dollar project that still requires significant funding from the community – will advance cardiac care in the Region by boosting capacity to treat more patients and offering new, innovative cardiac procedures.
“As the population of Waterloo Region expands and ages, our cardiac program needs to evolve to address more complex cardiac needs,” says Dr. Hahn Hoe Kim, the Cardiac Catheterization Lead at St. Mary’s General Hospital.
"The tremendous generosity of this estate gift from Ralph and Dorothy Kraft brings us closer to expanding necessary cardiac services for patients across Kitchener-Waterloo and beyond."
Further impact
- Kraft donation helped secure St. Mary’s first MRI machine earlier this year, which has reduced wait times for low priority scans from seven-plus months to five.
- Covered extra costs associated with bringing The Savvas Chamberlain Eye Clinic to St. Mary’s in 2023, giving patients access to retinal surgery locally for the first time.
A percentage of the gift is also going to the Care NEXT innovation fund – a coalition of regional hospitals, health networks and surrounding universities promoting growth of health innovation through research, ideation, experimentation and scaling.
Improving healthcare across hospital sites
The Kraft estate also made a multimillion-dollar donation to Grand River Hospital Foundation. The total amount of the gifts across both hospital sites has surpassed $28 million.
“Ralph and Dorothy chose to invest in the future of healthcare in our Region and coupled with other investments, they are already making a tremendous difference,” says Susan Dusick, President and CEO of St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation.
“People often don’t understand the power of their estate and how their life’s work can leave a legacy of impact. When I think of Ralph and Dorothy’s generosity, I think of all the lives that will be saved because of it – and the ripple effects that will have on their family members and loved ones.”
About the Krafts
Ralph and Dorothy Kraft, who died in 1998 and 2006, respectively, were a husband-and-wife team that opened HiWay Market in 1952. As the Kitchener area’s first grocery superstore, HiWay Market was a staple to the community until it closed in 1987.
HiWay Market reinvented grocery shopping in the Region, offering extended hours while selling everything from fresh meat and produce, to footwear, clothing, hardware, international foods, and garden supplies. It also had a barbershop, florist and a large, popular toy department.
A plaque on the first floor of the hospital, near the MRI suite, was dedicated to Ralph and Dorothy Kraft on Friday.
“With their tremendous gift to local healthcare, Ralph and Dorothy are extending the innovative spirit they were known for into the community in profound ways,” says Dusick. “This gift is triumphing innovation, securing tools and equipment that improve care, and allowing patients and their families to make more memories together.”
St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation
Media contacts:
Alyssa Lai
Director, Communications and Marketing
alai@supportstmarys.ca
519-489-0751
Melissa Couto
Writer and Content Specialist
mcouto@supportstmarys.ca
226-338-3763
About St. Mary's General Hospital Foundation
St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated solely to generating financial support for the life-saving care provided by St. Mary’s General Hospital. Funds donated by the community through St. Mary's General Hospital Foundation go toward vital equipment, construction and resource requirements for St. Mary’s General Hospital which are not covered by or exceed funding provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
For more information, visit supportstmarys.ca
About St. Mary's General Hospital
Located in the heart of Kitchener, St. Mary’s is home to the Regional Cardiac Centre, Regional Chest Program and Regional Eye Program. As leaders in our field recognized globally for world-class, innovative healthcare, our vision of “Inspiring Excellence. Healthier Together” is not just about our approach to patient-centred care, it’s also about our commitment to our staff.
Celebrating a century of care this year, St. Mary’s provides compassionate care to our community serving over 1.4 residents locally and beyond each year. We are the second-largest acute care hospital in the St. Joseph’s Health System with a team of over 2,000 staff, physicians and volunteers dedicated to ensuring patients receive the highest-quality care possible.
Learn more about Our Mission, Values & History and the future of care at St. Mary's.
