Betty Ford Center receives $4M donation for campus renovation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation received a $4 million gift from the Daniels Fund of Denver, CO, to support the Betty Ford Center campus transformation project.
"Bill Daniels was a great friend of former First Lady Betty Ford and supporter of the Betty Ford Center. His legacy of healing and hope continues through the Daniels Fund," said Joseph Lee, MD, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. "As the Betty Ford Center celebrates its 40th year, we are grateful to the Daniels Fund for this significant commitment to the campus transformation, which will enable us—over the next 40 years—to help countless more families on their road to recovery."
The Betty Ford Center is one of the world's most famous addiction treatment centers. It's located on a private, 20-acre campus adjacent to Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage.
The Center is undergoing a four-year, more than $40 million construction project to renovate the campus. News Channel 3's Peter Daut got an in-depth look at the project, which is slated to be completed in 2025.
Officials with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation said the project will help meet the meet increasing demand for services, expand accessibility, and help more individuals, families, and communities. This comes amid record-high overdoses and rising alcohol-related deaths nationwide, as well as escalating mental health concerns on the tail of the pandemic.
The Daniels Fund has been a vital supporter of the Betty Ford Center campus since its early days, officials said.
"Bill was inspired by Betty Ford's bravery, honesty, and recovery and treasured his relationship with her. His gratitude for her and the life-changing treatment he received at the Betty Ford Center was apparent in his life," said Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund. "We are honored to carry forward their legacy through this gift which will help thousands of people."
Former First Lady Ford had a vision to treat addiction with unprecedented compassion and to provide healing and hope to children from families struggling with addiction. The Daniels Fund has been an invaluable partner in making that dream a reality, officials added.
The foundation's founder, Bill Daniels helped develop, fund and expand the Betty Ford Center's visionary Children's Program to support kids ages 7 to 12 who are growing up in a family affected by addiction. Today, the Children's Program continues to expand throughout the nation and includes a site in Greenwood Village, Colo.
His initial gift in the year 2000 also enabled construction of the Daniels Building at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, giving the site its own dedicated space for children and their families.
This most recent gift brings the lifetime giving of Bill Daniels and the Daniels Fund to more than $7 million.
"With the visionary leadership of dedicated supporters like the Daniels Fund, we are creating a space that honors the dignity of every individual who comes to us for care. When the campus transformation is complete in 2025, the Betty Ford Center will be the ideal setting for the personal transformations that take place on campus every day," said Moira McGinley, Hazelden Betty Ford's chief development officer. "It will ensure a future of healing and hope for thousands of individuals and families seeking the latest, most comprehensive, evidence-based treatment, and will help the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation empower recovery and well-being for all."
If you'd like to learn more about the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the center, or how you can help, visit: https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/
