The 2019 Vaughan Mayor’s Gala

Vaughan.snapd.com
July 2, 2019

Cortellucci family makes historic $40-million donation to new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital

History Is Made, Cortellucci family has donated $40 million toward building the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said in a keynote address to an audience of nearly 1,000 people during the 2019 Mayor’s Gala.

Mayor Bevilacqua chairs the $250-million Mackenzie Health Foundation’s Exceptional Care Belongs Here Campaign. More than $160 million have been raised toward constructing Vaughan’s first hospital. “The Cortellucci family’s donation marks the largest single contribution in Mackenzie Health’s history,” Mayor Bevilacqua said.

The Cortellucci family has an admirable, selfless and extensive history of giving back to ensure Vaughan has a bright and promising future. In July 2018, Mayor Bevilacqua hosted a special ceremony at Vaughan City Hall to announce the Cortellucci family had stepped forward with a $3-million donation that will go toward building the Hospice Vaughan -- Mario & Nick Cortellucci Hospice Palliative Care Centre of Excellence. Mayor Bevilacqua also chairs Hospice Vaughan’s A Better Ending Capital Campaign.

In January 2019, Mayor Bevilacqua was joined by the Cortellucci family to announce the expansion of Niagara University’s new campus to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the city’s emerging downtown core. It is located walking distance from the VMC TTC subway station and further connected by vivaNext bus rapid transit service. Niagara University is the first university in Vaughan and York Region.

Cranes tower over the 1.2-million square foot Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital site, which can house up to 550 beds. The new hospital is a $1.6-billion initiative. It will employ over 1,800 full-time hospital staff and be the first in Canada to feature fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices that can speak directly to one another to maximize patient care. Last fall, Mayor Bevilacqua, Members of Council and the community marked the hospital topping-off ceremony to celebrate reaching the highest point of construction and moving closer to opening the hospital in late 2020.

The 2019 Mayor’s Gala theme is #WeAreVaughan. It represents pride of citizenship and the knowledge that all people have an important and enduring role in creating a city that is admired across the country and around the world. Since 2011, the efforts and events of Mayor Bevilacqua’s Spirit of Generosity commitment have raised more than $70 million. Proceeds have gone to help over 200 not-for-profit and community organizations that play a vital role in shaping the City of Vaughan.

Additional photos can be seen here: https://vaughan.snapd.com/events/view/1248155