One year ago, John Moran donated $18 million to the eye center that bears his name. The money was the start of a $36 million total needed to create a new, larger facility. Friday morning center officials announced raised funds had brought them $6.7 million closer to their goal.
That brings the total funds raised toward a new state-of the-art facility to $28 million, just $8 million short of the $36 million ground-breaking goal.
The proposed new eye center will be built just west of University Hospital and south of Primary Children’s Medical Center. Boasting an anticipated 170,000 square feet, it will double the current space available for basic and clinical research and will also provide laboratory space for new faculty members who have been recruited here during the past three years.
Organizers had originally hoped to have the additional $8 million raised in time to start construction by the summer of 2003, but at the current pace of gift-giving, they now think it possible to begin construction in fall 2002 and complete the new facility by summer 2004.
The fund-raising campaign is part of a five-year effort that will provide the U’s Moran Eye Center with the facilities and resources to continue its research in combating blindness and diseases of the eye.
Former U classmates and wealthy benefactors Spencer Eccles and Moran both spoke in praise of the many gifts donated toward the new eye center. U President Bernie Machen introduced the center’s campaign for vision and its slogan, “You’ll see.”
Donations were announced from four prominent Utah families, as well as from faculty and staff at the eye center.
The George S. and Dolores Dor Eccles Foundation contributed $2.5 million; the Thomas D. Dee II family $2 million, the Ida W. Smith family $1 million and the Ian M. and Annette P. Cumming family $1 million. In addition, the staff and faculty at the Moran Eye Center announced an additional $200,000 in donations to the project.
“Today is a tremendous moment in the life of the Moran Eye Center,” said Randall Olson, the center’s director and chairman of the U’s department of ophthalmology and visual sciences. “Today we are another step closer to a new building. The future of vision research in Utah has never been brighter, thanks to the generosity of these community leaders.”
He also asked that people in the community consider what “we’re trying to do here,” and look into their hearts to support the center.
Eccles predicted that the U will be home to, or play a part in, some of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century. He believes the center is one of the university’s shining stars and one of the programs that will lead the way. The Eccles Foundation also provides ongoing support for the Moran Eye Center’s patient support program.
Eccles cited two main reasons for his gift. First, he hopes it will foster greater collaboration between researchers and departments, and second, he hopes the gift will serve as a challenge to other institutions and individuals to step forward and help.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Eccles, Dee, Cumming and Smith families, as well as my thanks to the faculty and staff of this eye center for such incredible generosity,” Moran said. “Utah is poised to become one of the leading ophthalmology research centers in the world, and community support is essential.”
The center started with a $10 million gift from Moran 10 years ago. It opened in 1993, and it has already become one of the country’s best graduate physician-training programs in ophthalmology. It is also the largest eye-care and vision research center between Texas and the West Coast. No decision has yet been announced regarding future use of the current eye center building when the new facility is complete.
The center’s basic research focuses on artificial vision, vision rescue and restoration, genetics and understanding the retina. At least 50,000 Utahns and 3.4 million people nationwide suffer from vision loss or blindness.