SBU Hospital Seeks Donations In 'Coronavirus Crisis Challenge'

STONY BROOK, NY — Stony Brook University Hospital is inching towards the planned finish line of its "Coronavirus Crisis Challenge," thanks to over 1,800 donors. As of Tuesday afternoon, the hospital has received $672,098 of its $750,000 goal. This comes amid the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

The campaign began March 20 as a $250,000 fundraiser effort with the Della Pietra family vowing to match it dollar-for-dollar, according to the university's crowdfund. The challenge was increased to $500,000 by the family after donors swiftly met the first target. After the second figure was also met, the Clarkson and Heintzelman Family joined in and bumped the challenge's matching funds to the current goal.

With the plan being for the funds to be matched by the families, the project has effectively raised over $1.34 million.

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"This outpouring of community support has provided immediate funds to help protect patients and healthcare heroes at our Hospital," Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, senior vice president of Health Sciences and dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine, said in a statement.

If you'd like to donate to the Stony Brook University Hospital "Coronavirus Crisis Challenge," click here.

Companies, groups and families have donated personal protective equipment, including face shields, masks, disinfectant wipes, and supplies, to the hospital.

Investors Bank, which has a few Long Island locations, provided a $100,000 grant from its Charitable Foundation to the Stony Brook University Hospital Foundation to support the hospital’s treatment of patients with COVID-19, a public relations on behalf of the bank said.

"We want Stony Brook to use this grant to fight this pandemic and provide assistance to the real heroes - those doctors, nurses, and administrators on the front line," Kevin Cummings, Investors Bank chairman and CEO, said in a news release. "They are doing a fantastic job under unimaginable circumstances and we want to support them any way we can."

A $50 million grant from the Army Corps of Engineers to the hospital was announced in late March. At the time, construction was scheduled to be done this Saturday.