Philanthropists' family donates $50 million to Children's Hospital Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Children's Hospital Los Angeles is announcing a $50 million gift from the family of John E. and Marion Anderson, philanthropists who had a long history of supporting the facility.
The donation will help the hospital in its mission to provide lifesaving care to patients and will make sure that doctors, researchers and other staffers have access to the resources they need, the hospital said.
With the latest gift, the Anderson family has given more than $100 million to the hospital over the last three decades. Another donation of $50 million was made in 2011, to help the hospital complete construction of a new building, now named the Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion.
John Anderson, who died in 2011 at age 93, was a billionaire businessman who ran companies in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, real estate and beverage distribution.
He and his wife Marion contributed millions of dollars to causes and institutions - including substantial donations to UCLA, which later named its business school for him.
Marion died in 2017, but the Anderson Stewart Family Foundation continues their charitable work.
"As philanthropists, the Anderson family is steadfastly devoted to improving the lives of others. Their years of support and leadership helped Children's Hospital Los Angeles save hundreds of thousands of lives," said CHLA President and CEO Paul S. Viviano. "Today, we are honored and humbled to receive this new gift that will continue their legacy of creating a better future for the children of this world."
Marion Anderson served as a hospital board trustee from 1989 until her death.
The Andersons' daughter, Judy Munzig, said her mother always enjoyed meeting the young patients at CHLA.
"(Marion) often said it was she who should be thanking Children's Hospital Los Angeles, that her life was transformed for the better as a result of her years of involvement at CHLA," said Munzig, who is the chair of the family foundation. "She loved meeting the children at the hospital and always believed the patients and families deserved the spotlight for their courage and resilience."
The hospital was the beneficiary of another large gift recently. A few weeks ago, CHLA announced that an anonymous donor had contributed $25 million to support the expansion of the hospital's Neurological Institute and an overhaul of its Interventional Radiology diagnostic and treatment space.
CHLA was recently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country.
