“The University of Louisville is grateful for our generous donors who support cutting-edge research, innovations in health care and student success,” said��Jasmine��Farrier, vice president for university advancement. “These extraordinary gifts help UofL become an even greater place to learn, work and invest.”

The support includes:

• $2.5 million to the from Otto D’Olivo to create the Otto and Susan D’Olivo Endowed Research Fund for Bipolar Disorder Treatment. This gift will establish an endowment to fund important research on bipolar and other mood disorders, conditions that affect one in five Americans. The focus of research will be on the basic mechanisms of these illnesses and the development of improved treatments.
• $1 million to the from an anonymous donor to kick off renovations to bring the school’s facilities up to national standards for student learning and adaptable teaching. These renovations will allow for hands-on experiences and opportunities for innovative thinking complemented by a state-of-the-art facility. In making the gift, the donor issued a challenge to support the next generation of nurses by giving back to the School of Nursing during the day of giving campaign.
• $1 million from Dr. and Mrs. William Cheadle to fund the that is responsible for directing all aspects of the general surgery residency program. “Mary and I wanted to give back to this outstanding residency training program which enabled me to achieve a successful academic career,” Dr. Cheadle said. “We appreciate the supreme devotion to the education of our surgical residents by Drs. (Hiram) Polk, (David) Richardson, (Kelly) McMasters and others in maintaining the highest standard of excellence of the University of Louisville general surgery residency.”
• $500,000 to the from Raymond Loyd to expand the M. Krista Loyd Resource Center and to fund transportation, housing and other needs for low-income patients as well as holistic therapies for all patients. A cancer survivor himself, Loyd is challenging everyone to give back and help save lives by giving to the center during Day of Giving.
• $100,000 to the from Hank and Rebecca Conn to continue and��advance the center’s goal of renewable energy��and promoting��technologies, practices and programs that increase efficiency for energy utilization. Hank Conn issued a challenge to fellow UofL supporters: “We have committed $100,000 for UofL’s day of giving…our passion is renewable energy…we’d like to see you push your passion.”
• $30,000 from the Bezos Family Foundation and $15,000 from the C. E. and S. Foundation to the . This fund supports programming related to the Center for Creative Placehealing’s Kentucky Wellbeing Challenge, which will launch a statewide program that provides inspiration, tools and a platform for high school students to design S.T.E.A.M. solutions to some of Kentucky’s most critical health and wellbeing challenges.

Raise Some L, the University of Louisville’s annual day of giving, kicks off at 6:02 p.m. on Oct. 20, running for 1,798 minutes in honor of the founding year of the university. Learn more at .

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The Gift brothers, who have given turkeys to patients with cancer and their families for the past six years, will this year provide a catered Thanksgiving meal to BMT patients.

“My Mom loved Thanksgiving – the food and spending time with those she loved. She made the best corn pudding, and now I make it every year,” Alex said.��

Mary Jane Gift lost her life to cancer in 2010. In honor of her life, sons Alex and Tommy Gift established the Mary Jane Gift Quality of Life Fund at the UofL Health – James Graham Brown Cancer Center as a way to help patients and their families enjoy life while facing a cancer diagnosis.

“We want patients and their families to know they are not alone and that people care. We also want them to know that cancer doesn’t have to define them,” Alex said.

Each year, the Gift brothers host an annual volleyball tournament, to raise money for the fund. The event includes both a pro and amateur division.

Money from the fund also supports short-term housing for BMT patients and their families who require lengthy treatment plans. The fund is administered through the cancer center’s M. Krista Loyd Resource Center.

The catered meal, complete with turkey, gravy, stuffing and other traditional fare, will serve about 80 people this Thanksgiving.