Orioles' Chris and Jill Davis Make Record $3M Donation To University Of Maryland Children's Hospital
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Orioles' Chris Davis and his wife Jill have given a $3 million gift to help fund an expansion to the University of Maryland Children's Hospital at the UMD Medical Center.
It's the largest philanthropic donation from a Baltimore sports figure to UMMC.
"This remarkable gift from Chris and Jill Davis will benefit children throughout the state of Maryland and beyond," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer at UMMC. "It will provide critical support to expand the resources and technology available at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital – including a new cardiac catheterization lab and operating room -- allowing our world-class experts in children's heart disease to provide the most advanced care possible. We are grateful to Chris and Jill Davis for their generosity and partnership."
Davis, who plays first base for the Orioles, said the cause is close to their family's hearts.
"Everyone at the hospital has inspired our family- from the patients and families who show such courage in the face of overwhelming challenges, to the medical professionals and caregivers who dedicate their careers to saving and improving lives," Davis said.
The couple serves as ambassadors to help raise awareness for childhood illnesses and UMCH's role as a leader in patient care, pediatric disease research and teaching future generations of health care providers- and regularly visit the hospital.
For the last three summers, the Davises have hosted "Crush's Homers for Hearts," a charity home run derby event at Oriole Park at Camden Yards that benefits the UMCH Children's Heart Program. To date, the events have raised more than $250,000.
