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Golisano Children's Hospital / Ways to Give / Strong Kids Newsletter / 2015 Summer / Ganatra Family Supports Hospital
 

Longtime Friends Provide Major Support to Hospital

Two longtime friends and supporters of Golisano Children’s Hospital have made major commitments in recent months.

Aab atriumRichard (Rick) T. Aab, a University of Rochester trustee and member of the University of Rochester Medical Center Board, made a $3 million commitment in March to Golisano Children’s Hospital as an expression of his deep friendship with Tansukh Ganatra and the Ganatra family. In recognition of his generosity, the University has named the atrium in the new children’s hospital the Ganatra Family Atrium.

“Ensuring that children have access to the best possible health care is a cause that is very important to me,” said Aab, who is vice chair for the University’s Campaign Cabinet and co-chair of the URMC campaign. “Construction of an all-new children’s hospital had long been a vision for the URMC, and I’m proud to have been part of the years of planning, advocacy, and community funding campaign that have made this significant achievement possible.”

Ganatra familyAab’s commitment came just months after the Ganatra family had pledged their own gift of $1.5 million to create the Tansukh, Sarla and Rajesh Ganatra Professorship in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

“The doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital were there as our friends, our allies, and our advisors. Whenever we needed help, they were there,” said Tansukh Ganatra. “We may not be around to benefit from the research and work done today, but if it helps future generations, why not support it? When you leave this world, you don’t take anything with you. While we are alive, we want to share with others and continue to help.”

Aab’s gift brings his total support for The Meliora Challenge, the University’s $1.2 billion comprehensive campaign, to $7 million. He had previously given $4 million to support cardiology research; the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute was named in his honor. The entire Ganatra Family has also already pledged a significant portion of their family estate to the same institute.

Aab and Tansukh Ganatra co-founded US LEC Corp., a telecommunications company based in Charlotte, N.C., as well as several other successful telecommunications companies during the past 30 years. Their friendship began in 1987, when Aab recruited Ganatra to ACC Corporation, a company Aab founded in Rochester.