Left to Right: Connie and Alan Buerger; Krista and Reid Buerger; Grant Buerger
The idea was sparked four years earlier when Krista was pregnant with their first child. “Becoming a parent changes the way you see the world,” Reid says. “I began thinking about what it meant, not just to my family but the greater community, to have a place like CHOP here in our backyard. I wanted to learn more and become more involved.” He began volunteering to serve on committees, meeting with hospital leadership and eventually joining the Board of Trustees. He spoke with CEO Steven Altschuler, M.D., about the Hospital’s most critical needs. Altschuler showed him the plans for CHOP’s new state-of-the-art outpatient center. “When I looked at the renderings,” says Reid, “I didn’t see glass and steel. I saw a place that could change the lives of children and their families forever. That’s when I started talking to my family about doing something special to make the center a reality.” Connie and Alan Buerger founded Coventry, which created the secondary market for life insurance and pioneered the resulting life settlement industry. As business leaders, their accomplishments are legion. “Giving back to the community has always been very important to us,” says Alan. “We focus our philanthropy on medicine, education and the military.” “CHOP holds a special place in our hearts,” says Connie. “Our sons went there, our grandchildren go there now. There are few words that can adequately describe the impact they have on the lives of so many children and their families.” On June 25, the Hospital announced the $50 million gift from the family and publicly unveiled plans for its new state-of-the-art outpatient building, named in their honor: the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care. “One wonderful part of this experience is the stories we’ve heard,” says Connie, “from friends, employees and even strangers, telling us how CHOP has touched their lives, whether it’s been their children, nieces, nephews or — Mark Turbiville friends’ children — it’s really extraordinary.”
A Capstone to the Best Year Ever The Buerger family’s $50 million gift was not only the largest gift in CHOP’s 158-year history, but it was also one of the largest gifts ever to a building in Philadelphia. It is a cornerstone in the Building Hope campaign, whose goal is to raise $100 million for the Buerger Center. The Buergers’ gift took CHOP to the halfway mark, and many other generous families have pushed the total raised so far in excess of $75 million. See Page 12 for ways that you can put your own name on the Buerger Center and help us realize this building, which will play a central role in the lives of so many children. The Buergers’ gift also provided an incredible high point in fiscal year 2013, which ended June 30. CHOP raised a record $130.8 million through the generosity of more than 66,000 people. While some of these funds went to the Building Hope campaign, others fueled lifesaving research; much-loved patient and family programs like Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy; vital patient care programs; and much more. Philanthropy provides the margin of excellence at CHOP, an excellence that our patient families deeply appreciate. We could not do it without you! Fall 2013
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