The Middle Tennessee Medical Center Foundation has announced Bill Jones as the recipient of its second annual Philanthropist of the Year award and Doctors Sudah and Suresh Saraswat as recipients of the inaugural Physician Champion of the Year.
Both honors were announced during the MTMC Foundation’s Rutherford Society Gala, which was held January 14th and featured former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who is also host of an ABC radio show heard locally three times daily on WGNS as well as a cable TV program FOX News as the guest speaker. More than 400 guests attended the gala, which recognizes donors to the MTMC Foundation.
Jones was selected for his leadership throughout the Foundation’s capital campaign and his support of Middle Tennessee Medical Center’s (MTMC) growth and services. He served as the chair of the capital campaign, “A Time to Build Up,” cabinet and is currently on MTMC’s Board of Directors.
The Saraswats were selected because of their most generous support of the capital campaign and for their support of MTMC, which began when they first re-located to Murfreesboro more than 30 years ago.
“Under the leadership of Bill, the MTMC Foundation undertook what was by far its biggest effort when it committed to raising $20 million for the new hospital,” said Jeff Lea, MTMC Foundation executive director. “Bill’s service as the chair of our campaign has been invaluable. We couldn’t have asked for a better leader and I can think of no one more deserving of the Philanthropist of the Year award.
The MTMC Foundation hosts the Rutherford Society Gala each year to honor donors in the Rutherford Society. The Rutherford Society is a group of individuals who support the hospital with a donation of $1,000 or more each calendar year. This year, the foundation has created two new categories of giving to recognize clergy or donors under the age of 40 who give at least $500 in a calendar year. Donors can designate their gifts to various hospital funds such as the Building Fund, Cancer Fund, Clara and Ed Delbridge Nursing Scholarship Fund or Heart Fund.