Million dollar commitment to St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph
Gift from the Ireland Family will directly support patients and residents

April 29, 2019 – GUELPH, ON – A remarkable $1 million gift from the Ireland Family to St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation Guelph will support the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment essential to patients and residents. In recognition of the gift, the main lobby of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph’s 100 Westmount Road location has been named The Robert Ireland Family Lobby.

Robert and Sharon Ireland have deep roots in the community through their family and Guelph Tool & Die Ltd. (now Guelph Manufacturing Group), which Robert founded in 1965. Their son Rob is now the company President. The Ireland Family has a long tradition of support of St. Joseph’s, with Rob sitting on the Foundation board.

During a celebration event held at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, many were on hand to deliver sincere thanks for the Ireland Family’s commitment to Guelph and St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph, including Mayor Cam Guthrie. Rob Ireland, on behalf of the family, shared, “My family is tremendously proud to make this $1 million gift in support of St. Joseph’s. We trust this gift will help ensure that all those facing significant injury,
disease or disability will have access to the best possible medical equipment and programming for years to come.”

St. Joseph’s is home to 240 long term care residents, 86 hospital beds and thousands of outpatient visits each year. In thanking the Ireland Family, David Wormald, President of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph shared, “It is only through remarkable acts of community generosity – such as
the one we are witnessing today from the Ireland Family – that St. Joseph’s will be able to continue providing the exceptional level of care we are so dedicated to. Today, we thank the Ireland Family for their remarkable compassion and philanthropic leadership. You are an inspiration to all of us.”

Sera Filice-Armenio, Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation Guelph noted the impact of philanthropy and the generosity of donors on the care provided at St. Joseph’s. “Throughout our long history, donations have been vital to making all we do at the Health Centre possible. With the unprecedented demand we see on long term care and outpatient programming, generous gifts like the one we are honoured to receive from the Ireland Family, are essential to St. Joseph’s helping all those facing significant and life-altering health challenges.”