Mayo Clinic Receives $100M Gift for Rochester Expansion

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Mayo Clinic has announced a major donation for its $5 billion Bold. Forward. Unbound. initiative in Rochester.

The $100 million gift is from The Bill and Donna Marriott Foundation and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. A news release says that, in recognition of the gift, Mayo Clinic will name “a defining space at the heart of the reimagined downtown Rochester campus” the Marriott Family Atrium.

Atrium Plans and Timeline

According to the statement, the two-story atrium will be “filled with natural light and serve as a welcoming place for tens of thousands of patients, visitors, and staff who come to Mayo Clinic each day.” The atrium is scheduled to be completed in 2030 and will connect the new downtown campus while offering “a hopeful sanctuary for patients and families.”

“Our family’s relationship with Mayo Clinic has always been personal,” says Bill Marriott. “We have seen firsthand how Mayo changes lives, and it is our privilege to help make that care available to more patients, now and in the future.”

Longstanding Mayo-Marriott Connection

The news release says the Marriott family’s connection to Mayo Clinic began more than 45 years ago when Bill and Donna Marriott brought their 5-year-old daughter to Mayo Clinic to be treated for a severe congenital heart condition. Mayo surgeons and other medical staff were able to save her life by performing open-heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, which was still an emerging medical technology at the time.

Get our free mobile app

Bill Marriott previously served as chairman of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees and continues to serve as an emeritus trustee. Debbie Marriott Harrison served as co-chair of the Mayo Clinic Greater Washington, D.C., Leadership Council.

“The Marriotts are extraordinary advocates for and partners with Mayo Clinic,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic’s president and CEO. “Their dedication to health care transformation through philanthropy and service reflects the values they share with Mayo Clinic, and we are truly grateful for their long-standing friendship and support.”

More Minnesota News:

• Stewartville Man Killed in Crash Near Rochester Airport
• Rochester Man Charged With Disseminating Child Pornography
• Guilty Plea For Violent Rochester Home Invasion