Nike co-founder Phil Knight and wife pledge record US$2B to Oregon cancer centre

Edmonton Journal

a day ago

PORTLAND, Ore. — Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, have pledged to donate US$2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute, the school announced Thursday, describing it as the largest single gift to a U.S. university.
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'This gift is an unprecedented investment in the millions of lives burdened with cancer, especially patients and families here in Oregon,' OHSU President Shereef Elnahal said in a statement.
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The donation will help ensure patients have access to various resources, including psychological, genetic and financial counselling, symptom management, nutritional support and survivorship care, the university statement said.
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The university described it as the 'largest single donation ever made to a U.S. university, college or academic health center.' It surpasses the US$1.8 billion given by Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins in 2018, described by that university at the time as the largest single contribution to a U.S. university.
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Bloomberg also donated an additional US$1 billion to Johns Hopkins last year, covering tuition, living expenses and fees for students from families under certain income levels.
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The magnitude of the donation will allow the Knight Cancer Institute to become a self-governed entity with its own board of directors within OHSU, the university said.
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Knight is Oregon's richest man. In 2013, he and his wife pledged US$500 million to the cancer institute if the university matched it within two years. The match was met following US$200 million in bonds from the Oregon Legislature, US$100 million from then-chair of Columbia Sportswear Gert Boyle, and donations from some 10,000 people, the university said.
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Universities across the country are struggling with moves from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to cancel or freeze research grants at universities.
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