St. Mary’s General Hospital celebrates largest donation in its history [Video]

St. Mary’s General Hospital has received the largest single donation in its 100-year history.

The estate of Ralph and Dorothy Kraft donated $11.1 million to help fund the construction of a third catheterization suite at the hospital in Kitchener. Roughly $4 million of that will be going directly to the catheterization lab project.

When it’s completed, officials said the new lab will enhance cardiac care programs at the hospital.

The Kraft donation will also help the hospital buy its first MRI machine and cover the extra costs associated with bringing the Savvas Chamberlain Eye Clinic to St. Mary’s in 2023.

Some of the money will also be go to a coalition of regional hospitals, health networks and universities working together to form the Care NEXT innovation fund. The initiative involves research and experimentation.

Ralph and Dorothy Kraft opened the HiWay Market grocery store in 1952. It offered more than just …