De Gasperis, Kohn families donate $20M to Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital

The largest single donation in Mackenzie Health Foundation’s history was announced last month: a $20 million joint gift from the De Gasperis and Kohn families to help build and equip the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. The gift was announced at the City of Vaughan Mayor’s Gala by Maurizio Bevilacqua, mayor and co-chair of the foundation’s Exceptional Care Belongs Here campaign.“As a result of the incredible generosity demonstrated by the De Gasperis and Kohn families, the 2018 Mayor’s Gala will be remembered, cherished and celebrated because of their selfless, historic and record-setting $20 million donation to the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital,” Bevilacqua said. “Once completed, the Giovanni De Gasperis and Eugene Kohn Learning Centre will stand as a testament to the spirit of generosity that radiates in people, businesses and neighbourhoods throughout our community.“Building” this hospital is about investing in the health and well being of our citizens and ensuring we all have access to the best possible care for generations to come. The philanthropic leadership of the De Gasperis and Kohn families will continue a long history of community building by helping to further shape Vaughan’s promising future.”The De Gasperis family, founders of the TACC Group of Companies, and Kohn family, founders of the Fieldgate Group of Companies, have each contributed to the growth and spirit of York Region for more than a quarter of a century. Building on their community leadership, the De Gasperis and Kohn families are helping to create a world-class health experience in southwest York Region and beyond. This gift will be dedicated to the new Learning Centre at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.The Giovanni De Gasperis, Eugene Kohn Learning Centre will be the most technologically advanced education facility within a Canadian community hospital, featuring clinical teaching and simulation labs, conference and learning spaces, and a stateof- the-art auditorium for transformative and large-scale health care forums, complete with high-tech innovations. Mackenzie Health physicians, nurses, staff and health-care providers from across Ontario will be able to stay up-to-date on the latest information and practice new skills and best clinical practices, leading to improved patient care and outcomes.The centre will extend beyond the hospital walls, using technology to link the Mackenzie Health team with educational opportunities and experts outside the region and allowing health-care providers across the GTA, province and country to consult and collaborate within Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.Construction of the new hospital began in 2016. The project is on schedule to open in late 2020. Once complete, the 1.2 million-square-foot state-of-the art facility will feature fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices, a first for a community hospital in Canada.The $20 million gift is a major step in Mackenzie Health Foundation’s fundraising campaign, which is being spearheaded by a dedicated 33-member cabinet co-chaired by Bevilacqua and Greg Sorbara. The foundation has committed to raising $250 million in community contributions toward the total $1.6 billion project cost. Thanks to a number of generous donations already received, including this most recent gift from the De Gasperis and Kohn families, the foundation has raised $103 million to date.The TACC Group of Companies is owned and operated by the De Gasperis family and employs over 2,500 people. The group of companies have solid reputations in the industry as bold innovative leaders in their various areas of expertise. The TACC Group of Companies includes TACC Developments, TACC Construction, Arista Homes, DECO Homes, OPUS Homes, Trans Power Utility, DiCrete Construction, DECAST Ltd. and Copper Creek Golf Group.“On behalf of my brothers Carlo and Michael, the TACC family is so proud to call the City of Vaughan home,” said Silvio De Gasperis. “The TACC Group has the privilege of building great communities for families to live, work and play and it is our honour to give back to the city through the creation of the state-of-the-art Learning Centre at the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital in honour of our father Giovanni De Gasperis and the late Mr. Eugene Kohn. We are proud of the legacy that our father Giovanni De Gasperis has built. It is one that continues to inspire all of us and the importance of public service and giving back to the community.”“On behalf of our family, we are proud to recognize my father, the late Mr. Eugene Kohn, for his contributions to the GTA by creating the state-of-the-art Learning Centre at the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital,” said Tom Kohn, on behalf of the Kohn, Gunsburg, Eisenberger and Jakubovic families and the Fieldgate Group of Companies. “We established the Fieldgate Cares Foundation to recognize Mr. Eugene Kohn’s legacy and to give back to the communities that Fieldgate services. We are proud to contribute to the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital in honour of Mr. Giovanni De Gasperis and Mr. Eugene Kohn.From award-winning homes and condominiums, to visionary commercial properties and beyond, Fieldgate has consistently demonstrated its ability to develop superior quality properties that exceed the expectations of our many satisfied clients and homebuyers. The Fieldgate Group of Companies includes Fieldgate Homes, Fieldgate Urban, Fieldgate Land Development, Fieldgate Commercial Properties, Fieldgate Property Management, Fieldgate Construction Management Limited, Fieldgate Retirement Living and Fieldgate Golf Group.http://www.mackenziehealthfoundation.ca/ http://www.tacc.com/tacc_group.htmlhttps://www.fieldgatehomes.com/