When Reverend Bruce Ross of Delta was deciding where to donate $100,000, he wanted to have the biggest possible impact on the Kingston community. With help from his daughter-in-law, Margaret, he decided to donate to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) as an Angel Donor.

This remarkable generosity rallied the community through a matching gift challenge during UHKF’s 2021 holiday campaign. Raising a total of $241,781, Bruce’s gift fueled the most successful holiday campaign in the Foundation’s history.

“It was a big decision, but I also knew it couldn’t go wrong because local health care is such a good cause,” says Bruce. “I was aware it was going to be an incentive for others, but seeing that it inspired so many others in the community to give back just blows my mind!”

“I had read about the matching program, and that seemed like a very interesting opportunity,” says Margaret. “Kingston’s hospitals have so many different needs, and help so many people in the community, that it just felt like the best place to support. I think our good fortune was also making contact with UHKF. We couldn’t have had a better partner in this. It’s been wonderful!”

Bruce believes his background as a pastor in the United Church has a lot to do with his desire to give back. But the healthcare professionals at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) also have a special place in his heart after caring for his late wife during her cancer illness.

“They were so good to her,” says Bruce. “There was always a nurse or healthcare worker there for her and just a true spirit of caring. So I hope this gives back to the staff and has an impact on patients and families, now and in the future.”

Whether it’s helping to upgrade facilities, purchase equipment or fund education opportunities, the generosity and kindness of donors like Bruce is vital for the future of health care in southeastern Ontario.

“UHKF is extremely grateful to Bruce, Margaret and the thousands of healthcare supporters in our community and surrounding area who gave so generously to UHKF’s holiday campaign,” says Tom Zsolnay, President and CEO of UHKF. “There is no doubt that this remarkable generosity will have a significant and lasting impact on the people we serve in the community.”