Local developer aims to help raise $5 million for surgery-space revitalization
Credit to Author: Nick Eagland| Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 02:37:05 +0000
Developer Willie Li is confident he is on the verge of completing an ambitious project that will leave a lasting legacy.
Li immigrated to B.C. in 2009 from Tianjin, China. Once settled, he dug into single-family home construction before building townhome projects and, in 2018, rising to the challenge of commercial highrises.
Now, the 46-year-old founder and CEO of Lion Way Properties and his firm are aiming to raise the last $5 million of a $60-million “Future of Surgery” fundraising campaign to upgrade surgical spaces at the Vancouver General and University of B.C. hospitals.
Since 2015, the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has raised more than $15.4 million of the required funding through its annual Time to Shine gala, and Lion Way Properties is title sponsor at this year’s Feb. 1 gala.
The campaign’s $60 million is helping the hospitals complete a $145-million hospital revitalization project, funded mostly by the government and Vancouver Coastal Health.
Li said his decision to contribute to local health care comes from a deep connection and appreciation for the province. The well-being of his neighbours is top-of-mind, he said.
Running marathons (including the BMO, since 2015) made him acutely aware of the importance of good health but he has also seen the need for revitalization to surgical spaces up close, he added.
“I very (much) pay attention to health,” Li said.
Several times while accompanying loved ones to Metro Vancouver emergency departments, Li saw that while they received top-tier care, doctors and nurses didn’t always have access to the best facilities and equipment, he said.
“I see the treatment is very nice,” he said. “But some (places), the equipment is not brand new — a little bit old. I think that needs improvement.”
Li said he has previously donated to the Richmond Hospital and has committed to donating to B.C. Children’s Hospital in the future.
Angela Chapman, president and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, said the last major operating-room renewal at the VGH and UBC hospitals was in the 1980s.
She said Metro Vancouver’s Chinese-Canadian community and development sector have been particularly generous in helping the Future of Surgery campaign get close to its $60-million goal.
“On February 1st, we believe that this generous community will help us bring this over the line,” she said.
Li said he views philanthropy as a vital part of his becoming a Canadian.
“That is the basic culture in Canada — give back,” he said.
Li said many in his close circle of friends from Mainland China feel the same way. He is confident the hospitals will get what they need.e
“I think that should be no problem,” he said. “$5 million can be finished.”
The gala will be held at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, where guests will enjoy fine dining, an auction and contemporary decor.