'Generational benefits': Record donation will aid OSMH bid for new hospital

At times, a hospital can be a sad place, but on Tuesday, people were all smiles as Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH).

That's when the OSMH Foundation officially received $3.3 million from the Weber Foundation. It's the largest donation in the hospital's history.

A celebration was held Tuesday in the OSMH courtyard to mark the Weber Foundation's donation of $22.5 million to more than a dozen charities in the area.

Carmine Stumpo, president and CEO of OSMH, says the gift from the Weber Foundation is "the start of something new."

"It's a gift that will provide generational benefits to everyone who turns to OSMH for their care," he said. "Today, we extend our gratitude for the positive change that the Weber Foundation gift will make toward the future of Soldiers'."

Stumpo says the full donation will be put toward the new hospital project.

"We continue to make great progress on our plans with an eye to the healthcare future needs of our community for decades to come," he said. "Our current focus is on site selection, which is well under way."

He says OSMH hopes to have more news to share regarding a new hospital later this year.

"We've been working with all levels of government to ensure that we are well positioned to move very quickly when the approvals come in and we have the green light to go," he said.

Building a new hospital requires funds to be raised locally, and Stumpo hopes the Weber Foundation gift will serve as an inspiration to others.

Reinhart Weber, founder of the Weber Foundation, says he's happy to give to OSMH as a part of the donation announced last week.

"I, myself, have had experiences here at the hospital," he said. "I was always treated well."

Weber launched the foundation in 1997 with his late wife, Alexandra, and a small board of trustees. It has donated more than $28 million to a range of organizations in the region.

Prior to the latest donation, the Weber Foundation had donated more than $700,000 in gifts to the OSMH Foundation.

After a 10-year relationship with OSMH, and with the Weber Foundation beginning to wind down, Weber wanted to leave his mark on the Orillia community once more.

"I think this donation will help the future of healthcare in the area," he said.