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Mr. Levine's Legacy

Strong Kids Newsletter

 

Mr. Levine's Legacy Runs Deep at Golisano Children's Hospital

William LevineYou can't get far on the University of Rochester Medical Center campus without seeing the names "William and Mildred Levine” emblazoned across an important space. Mr. Levine, co-founder of Alleson Athletic, a Rochester-based company that designs and manufactures uniforms for athletic teams, didn't just believe in high-quality health care; he was an influential supporter of it. Over the years, he and his family gave more than $4 million to the University of Rochester Medical Center, a large chunk of which supports services for children. Mr. Levine, a great friend of Golisano Children's Hospital, passed away Nov. 4, 2013, at 97 years old.

"We are very sad to lose Mr. Levine in our URMC family, but his legacy is one that we should all aspire to?putting our community first,” said Bradford C. Berk, CEO of URMC. "The Medical Center and, especially, Golisano Children's Hospital are better places because of the investments Mr. Levine made in them.”

Over the years, Mr. Levine has been an incredible contributor to our region's children, including sponsoring many of the children's hospital's galas and serving as an honorary chair of the gala in 2004. But Mr. Levine's most transformative and generous gift to Golisano Children's Hospital was helping to fund one of the children's hospital's crowning achievements: The William and Mildred Levine Pediatric Surgical Suite.

The suite, which opened in 2006, helps more than 21,000 children who undergo surgery at the hospital every year. It provides pre- and post-operative care that is specifically catered to meet a child's needs. With the opening of the new suite, families were welcomed into a vibrant waiting area dedicated to pediatric patients. The new space also allowed families more time with their children leading up to surgery and immediately following surgery.

When asked why he wanted to support the surgical suite and the hospital, Mr. Levine said he believed strongly in helping children because "they're our future citizens.”

The William and Mildred Levine Pediatric Surgical Suite will move into the new Golisano Children's Hospital about 18 months after the new building opens in 2015. The family-centric care the new suite affords our families and providers will be further enhanced in the new building, with brand new operating rooms designed, from the ground up, for children.

Mr. Levine's legacy is incredibly strong at Golisano Children's Hospital and stretches beyond the spaces that bear his name. In fact, one of his grandchildren, Todd Levine, is an active member of the Golisano Children's Hospital board. Todd clearly takes after his grandfather, contributing both time and funds to enhancing pediatric care in our region.

"My grandfather truly understood the spirit and importance of giving back to his community and especially to the health and welfare of children,” Todd Levine said. "He left an amazing legacy of philanthropy and set an example that we all must strive to follow.

"He always said that his favorite hobbies were to make money and give it away – his pure joy.”