Princeton, NJ Real Estate Press Releases
Princeton Resident, Real Estate Developer Leonard Punia, Donates $1.35 Million to Hospital Fundraising Campaign
PRINCETON, NJ (APRIL 14, 2010) -- Princeton resident Leonard Punia has donated $1.35 million toward the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, Princeton HealthCare System (PHCS) Foundation announced today.
An active 83-year-old real estate developer, Punia made the gift in honor of his wife, Renee, who died in August after a long battle with cancer. Noting that his wife enjoyed spending time in her garden, Punia asked that part of the donation go to create a Healing Garden, an outdoor oasis of trees and plants in view of an oncology treatment area at the new hospital.
PHCS Foundation Vice President Joseph Stampe said the donation will also benefit the new hospital’s Emergency Department and that, in recognition of the gift, PHCS will name a road leading into the hospital campus “Punia Way.”
“Princeton HealthCare System is very grateful for this generous donation to our Design for Healing campaign,” said Stampe, referencing the fundraising campaign for the new hospital. “The Punias have been great friends of Princeton HealthCare System through the years and we’re pleased to honor Renee’s memory and the entire Punia family on our new campus.”
Leonard Punia, whose companies Punia Company, LLC and Punia and Marx, Incorporated have holdings in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, said he and his wife always appreciated the high quality of care at University Medical Center of Princeton and had discussed making a donation to the new hospital while she was still alive.
“We felt we got very good treatment at the hospital and we wanted to help them continue their wonderful care for the community at the new facility,” he said.
The Design for Healing campaign seeks to raise funds in support of the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, which is expected to open in late 2011 as a replacement hospital for the current University Medical Center of Princeton.
With this latest gift, the campaign has raised $109 million in support of the new hospital.
Total costs of the hospital are estimated at $447 million.
