Reading Area Community College is reaching out to the public in hopes of raising the last bit of funding needed to complete the creation of the new Weitz Healthcare Pavilion.
Work on the pavilion — named after Dr. Anna Weitz, a former RACC president — began in July 2023. The $19 million project will see the former four-story Weitz Hall transformed into a modern, high-tech medical training facility.
The pavilion will allow RACC expand its current 15 health care programs and accommodate seven new offerings slated to begin in the coming years.
To date, the Foundation for Reading Area Community College has raised more than $15 million for the project through public and private investments.
That includes $5 million from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program; $4 million from Berks County in Community Development Block Grant funding; and $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding from Reading.
“We are so appreciative of the lawmakers who represent Berks County,” said Dr. Susan Looney, RACC president. “Their advocacy was vital in RACC receiving these incredible grants. I extend my sincere thanks to all of the legislators who represent Reading and Berks County on the state, county and local levels.”
The project has also received significant funding from local businesses, foundations and philanthropists.
Now, RACC is turning to the general public for support. Earlier this month it kicked off an 18-month fundraising campaign aimed at closing the final funding gap.
“We are extremely grateful to those leaders who have enabled us to surpass all of our goals for the first two years of the campaign,” said Anthony DeMarco, executive director of the Foundation for RACC. “Now, we turn to the Berks County community to help us complete this vital project.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a facility that will directly address the health care worker shortage in Berks County. We are building not just a structure, but a pipeline of skilled, local health care professionals who will care for our families, ourneighbors and our community.”
Officials from RACC pointed out that more than 90% of the school’s health care graduates remain in Berks, serving as nurses, medical lab technicians, respiratory therapists and nurse aides in local institutions.
Naming opportunities are still available for classrooms, labs and offices in pavilion. Every gift will be recognized on a large plaque at the entrance of the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion.
For more information about how to contribute, contact DeMarco at ademarco@racc.edu.
Source: Berkshire mont
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