$1 Million Donation by Chico’s FAS, Inc. Closes Out Community Challenge

Lee Memorial Health System Foundation and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida are honored to announce that the $20 million challenge grant issued by Tom Golisano in May, 2012 has been matched.

Chico’s FAS, Inc. donated $1 million to close out the match. Chico’s FAS and its associates have been committed to helping those in need in Southwest Florida.  The corporation’s philanthropic efforts predominately focus on organizations that cater to women, children, health, education, and the environment – all causes that are very close to the hearts of the company’s customers and associates.  Chico’s FAS, Inc. will name part of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) “neighborhood” that will occupy the entire 64-bed 3rd floor.  Private suites will be clustered into Neighborhoods and will deliver 24/7 accommodations for family members and guardians providing the finest family-centered care.  Each suite will be telemetry-enabled and provide the latest state-of-the-art equipment and technology near the entrance of the room to provide maximum privacy for the patient and family during hospitalization.

Thousands of individuals, companies and foundations supported Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida’s capital campaign and saw their gifts matched dollar for dollar by the generosity of Tom Golisano.  The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida has been renamed Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in his honor.  Mr. Golisano issued the challenge in the spring of 2012 and publicly stepped forward in October 2012 to issue a call to the community to support the children of Southwest Florida.  Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is raising funds via its capital campaign to construct a new 128-bed state-of-the-art pediatric medical facility on the campus of HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers, Florida.

The project is still in need of funding and the community is urged to continue its generosity to raise the remaining $19 million needed to complete the campaign.  The new facility will break ground in fall of 2013 and will be fully operational by 2017.

Of the close of the matching challenge and its outstanding success, Mr. Golisano said, “My congratulations to Lee Memorial Health System Foundation on the successful completion of my $20 million challenge grant.  I also extend my thanks to the individuals, businesses, philanthropists and foundations in the community whose tremendous outpouring of support in just over a year will help turn the dream of a new state-of-the-art Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida into reality. And although this challenge has been met, the hospital’s need for support does not end here. I hope that the community will continue to demonstrate its compassion and generosity to help this new children’s hospital bring the highest quality care to the region’s youngest patients in need.”

Jim Nathan, President, Lee Memorial Health System remarked, “The incredible generosity of Tom Golisano and his special gift truly inspired so many Southwest Florida residents to band together in support of excellence in children’s health care.  We are humbled and honored to have the support of so many in the goal to keep children close to home during their health care and treatments.  Though this challenge comes to a close, we will carry on our efforts to raise an additional $19 million to achieve our capital campaign goal of $100 million on behalf of the children of Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.    We hope the community will continue to stand with us in helping this vision become a reality.”

“We’re truly grateful Chico’s FAS has chosen to support this important effort on behalf of Southwest Florida children. Their support in taking the campaign over the top of the $20 million matching challenge is an outstanding contribution to ongoing efforts to raise $100 million.  Chicos FAS has been a long-time supporter of the health and well-being of children and their families and we are honored to have them stand with us on this lifesaving cause.” added Joe Catti, President & CEO FineMark National Bank & Trust and Chairman, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida capital campaign.

About Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida

Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is part of Lee Memorial Health System in Lee County, Florida. It is the only acute care children’s hospital between Tampa and Miami. The children’s hospital opened in 1994 within HealthPark Medical Center. The name was changed to Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in 2012. Lee Memorial Health System Foundation, the primary fund raising entity for Golisano Children’s Hospital, is currently engaged in a major capital campaign to enhance pediatric hospital care in Southwest Florida by building a new 292,000 square foot, 128-bed children’s hospital on the campus of HealthPark Medical Center. For more info, visit ChildrensHospitalGoal.org.

About Chico’s FAS, Inc.

The Company, through its brands – Chico’s, White House | Black Market, Soma Intimates, and Boston Proper, is a women’s specialty retailer of private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates, complementary accessories, and other non-clothing items.