Bob Jacob, a Bracebridge resident, philanthropist and Rotarian, made history for the South Muskoka Hospital Foundation on April 10.
Jacob made his second million-dollar donation to the foundation just six months after an initial million-dollar donation.
“In just six months, Bob has doubled down on his commitment to our patients and our mission. His extraordinary generosity strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality care close to home,” said Leah Walker, foundation executive director.
According to officials, Jacob’s cumulative lifetime giving makes him the largest living donor in the foundation’s history, with a total of over $2.2 million donated to date.
“Our hospital is the heart of this community,” said Jacob. “Supporting its future is one of the most meaningful investments I can make, and giving through stocks is easy. I challenge other donors: why wait?”
In recognition of his historic generosity, South Muskoka Hospital has honoured Bob and his late wife, Lynn, with recognition on the South Muskoka Hospital’s visitor entranceway.
“Philanthropy at this level inspires others. Bob’s leadership challenges all of us to think bigger about what’s possible for healthcare in our region,” said Dan Brooks, foundation board chair.
Cheryl Harrison, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare president and CEO, said Bob’s donation will be used to fund “much-needed” equipment and tools for frontline staff to help deliver better care to the community.
“We have a long laundry list of equipment that we have to replace every year, and probably for the next five to seven years,” said Harrison. “We’ve got enough things that we can spend this money on to make sure that we have the best equipment for our providers and for our patients in the community.”
Officials said both donations were made through gifts of publicly traded securities, a form of giving that maximizes impact for the hospital and can provide significant tax benefits to the donor.
