Celebrating Southwest Floridians

Making Waves is our salute to the residents, businesses and organizations of Southwest Florida’s island coast who make the community special

The goal seemed hardly possible―to raise $100 million in donations for a new children’s hospital, or nearly half of the $240 million project cost. The commitment over five years was daunting, those behind the effort said when it ended in November. The new seven-story Golisano Children’s Hospital is located next to HealthPark at Summerlin and Bass roads. It opens in April. From the beginning of the campaign to raise funds for the children’s hospital, good things happened, starting in 2012 with $20 million from a Naples billionaire. Others gave because cancer doctors at the former Lee Memorial Health System had saved a young boy, for instance; in gratitude his family and their friends on Sanibel and Captiva raising more than $15 million. Suddenly in November it ended in a shower of confetti, happy supporters accepting final donations of more than $3 million. The initial $100 million goal, Lee Health CEO Jim Nathan said, “Seemed monumental,” adding that project directors in the beginning broke the capital campaign into more manageable parts, or “one bite at a time,” and then “believing in the mission.”