Confluence Project Scores Another Half Million Dollar Donation
Mayo Clinic Health System has made the fundraising total for the Confluence Project in Eau Claire a whole lot healthier. The Chippewa Valley branch of the health system announced this morning that it will donate $250,000 toward the Confluence Performing Arts Center – a total that, thanks to an anonymous challenge grant, will be doubled to $500,000.
“The Confluence Arts Center highlights the value placed on the arts in the Chippewa Valley,” said Dr. Randall Linton, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System of northwest Wisconsin. “Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to play a role in making this performing arts center a reality. It will be a destination landmark for years to come and will also help attract and retain highly skilled healthcare workers in the Eau Claire area. We look at this as an investment in both our community and our employees.”
With its donation – which will be spread over five years – Mayo joins a long list of Chippewa Valley businesses that have made pledges to the project, including Royal Credit Union, Xcel Energy, JAMF Software, Market and Johnson, Commonweal Development, Northwestern Bank, and many others.
Ground will be broken in October for the $45 million performing arts center, which will be shared by UW-Eau Claire and the community. The project is funded by the state of Wisconsin, the City of Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, as well as by donations from private individuals and institutions. According to Sue Bornick, executive director of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, private philanthropy already has exceeded $14 million, and that’s without the challenge grant. More than three-quarters of the funds needed to match the full $1.5 million have been raised, and donations and pledges received before Sept. 30 will also go toward the matching grant.
To learn more or to make a donation, visit communityfortheconfluence.org or call the Eau Claire Community Foundation at (715) 552-3801.
