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City family donates $1 million for endowed research chair in cardiology

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 02/8/2012 11:18 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 02/9/2012 11:53 AM | Updates

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Philanthropist Mr. Conrad Wyrzykowski donates 1 million to the I. H. Asper Clinical Reserch Institute Wednesday morning.

Conrad Wyrzykowski felt obligated to help others ever since he was a young child and spent months in hospital recovering from a serious arm and hand injury.

Wyrzykowski, 82, who practised law in Winnipeg for half a century and now lives in Lorette, has become a noted Manitoba philanthropist. He has supported the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation for more than two decades.

On Wednesday, he and his family made one of their biggest donations yet — $1 million to help establish the province’s first research chair in cardiology at the University of Manitoba and St. Boniface General Hospital.

That the donation will go toward heart research is fitting. "I had two heart attacks. Both of them were treated here," the soft-spoken Wyrzykowski said at a ceremony at St. B to mark the donation.

Establishment of the Evelyn Wyrzykowski Establishment Family Research Chair in Cardiology Endowment Fund — named after Conrad’s late wife — is part of a $3-million partnership between the hospital and the U of M. Each is contributing half the endowment fund.

With Wyrzykowski’s donation, the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation has raised its half of the money. An official with the U of M said Wednesday the university hopes to complete its own fundraising by summer.

"This will help attract and retain world renowned clinicians and researchers to St. Boniface hospital and the University of Manitoba," St. Boniface hospital president and CEO Dr. Michel Tétreault said.

History

Updated on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 11:53 AM CST: Story writethru.

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