Valley Children’s Hospital receives largest single estate gift ever
The estate of LeRoy A. Giannini, one of the San Joaquin Valley’s pioneering farmers, has donated $9 million to Valley Children’s Hospital, the largest single estate gift in its history.
The donation was made in honor of LeRoy’s parents, Ruth E. and LeRoy G. Giannini. The Giannini family has been in farming for more than a century, growing nectarines and plums in the Dinuba area and raising cattle on the Central Coast.
At one point, the Giannini farms were the largest growers of nectarines in the world.
“This is a truly remarkable day for Valley Children’s as we celebrate the extraordinary gift of nearly $9 million from the Giannini family,” said Todd Suntrapak, president and CEO of Valley Children’s Healthcare. “This gift is a wonderful tribute to the family’s deep Valley roots, to their lifetime of caring for children and families and to those children who we are privileged to care for at Valley Children’s today and for generations to come.”
A new outpatient center planned for construction on the Valley Children’s Hospital campus in Madera County, just across the San Joaquin River from Fresno, will be named in honor of the Giannini family to serve as a powerful tribute to their generosity.
Zara Arboleda, spokeswoman for Valley Children’s, said the money given to the hospital is unrestricted.
“It can be used for the greatest needs of the hospital,” she said.
“We are grateful for the generosity and vision of the Giannini family and the transformational effect that their gift will have at Valley Children’s,” said Robert Saroyan, president of Valley Children’s Healthcare Foundation. “This gift is the capstone of the Giannini family’s incredible tradition of philanthropy in the Valley. Their spirit of generosity and compassion for those in need in our community will live on with the naming of the future center.”
Gianninis’ generosity
Giannini may have been known by many as an agricultural leader, but he also was a significant philanthropist, making sizable contributions to support educational and faith-based organizations.
Jim Burnett, a longtime friend and employee of Giannini and the trustee to his estate, said that over the years, Giannini paid for every Little League team in Dinuba that didn’t have a sponsor. He would also help pay for his employees and their family members, unexpected emergencies, pay to send their children to college and cover funeral expenses for every employee or family member.
The second-largest gift given to Valley Children’s was $5 million from an anonymous donor in 2016.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 12:37 PM.
