Hartford Sky Lights Up to Honor $50 Million Donor and Publicly Launch the 100% Campaign for Connecticut Children's

Connecticut Children’s President and CEO, Shannon Sullivan, kicked off the celebration with an invitation to join the 100% Campaign. “Being 100% dedicated to kids as a health system is not easy. It takes everything we have, every partner we have and it works because we give our patients everything we’ve got,” she said. “That is what being 100% in means.  We need our community to not look away. We need our community to join their fight.”

Patient ambassador Brooke Johnson, shared her story of graduating a semester early from college then being suddenly struck with stage three non-Hodgkin lymphoma, nine days after starting her first job. She expressed gratitude to her oncology physician, Dr. Natasha Frederick, explained how her employer supported her and challenged the audience: “I stand here today—a testament to extraordinary care. Grateful for my life, grateful for my team, grateful for the chance to keep going. My experience is one story. There are thousands more waiting to be written. So as you leave here today, I invite you to ask yourself: What can I do to help write the next chapter?”

Adding his perspective, 10-year-old Brian Roy, born with a cleft lip and palate, has endured multiple surgeries and has gained confidence, as his smile has evolved over the years. “I’ve learned that getting better takes patience. It takes bravery,” said Brian. “And it takes trusting the doctors and nurses who are here to help you.”
 

Along with the 100% Campaign’s public launch, the leadership gift of $50 million from Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, was recognized with the renaming of Connecticut Children’s flagship hospital in Hartford, which is now known as Golisano Medical Center at Connecticut Children’s. The $50 million gift, announced in October 2025, secured Connecticut Children’s place in the Golisano Children’s Alliance. With 21 connected hospitals, the Golisano Children’s Alliance aims to elevate pediatric care by expanding services, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring that children and families have access to the highest quality medical attention close to home.

“When you see the Golisano name on your building, see it as a permanent vote of confidence in your clinicians, your researchers, your leadership, your community, and your vision,” said Erica Dayton, Executive Director of the Golisano Foundation. “It is also an anchor to a powerful national alliance of pediatric institutions committed to raising the bar for medicine and ensuring children and families have access to the very best care, regardless of circumstance or ZIP code.”

The event included grateful patients, parents, hospital administrators and governing board leadership in front of a 8-foot-high light switch. When the flipped the ceremonial switch, the hospital’s new Golisano Medical Center at Connecticut Children’s sign lit up to the delight of guests and the hospital team members who had assembled for the marquee event.
 

About Connecticut Children’s
Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut 100% dedicated to kids. That means high-quality care across more than 30 pediatric specialties in 30+ locations throughout Connecticut, Eastern New York, and Western Massachusetts. One team on a mission to improve access to healthcare from before birth and into adulthood. One team pushing the limits with breakthrough research and community partnerships so we can help you focus on what matters most: your family’s wellness journey. When you choose Connecticut Children’s, you can expect care Beyond Imagination.

Connecticut Children’s is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve access to health care for all children.

About Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives—in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals—including multiple hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations—exceeds $1 billion.

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

Mr. Golisano formed and financially supports the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, where students receive a high quality business certificate and write their own entrepreneurial success stories, without having to take on enormous debt.