By Courtney Cole/ Managing Editor

Support for Missouri Valley College’s proposed health science facility continues to be strong as the college announced a second large donation for the project.

The $1 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation of Kansas City was announced on Nov. 2. The Sunderland Foundation, which was established in 1945 by Lester T Sunderland and provides funding annually for higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects. To receive all of the funding, MVC had to meet certain criteria, including that the funding go to a construction project.

The total cost of the building will be $5 million. The grant from the Sunderland Foundation will be used in conjunction with an earlier gift of $1 million from Don and Julie Julien.

Dr. Bonnie Humphrey, President of Missouri Valley College, hopes to have all of the funding for the project in place by the end of this year. Once that is done, the college hopes to have construction to start by July 2023 or even before, if the weather permits. As for the building being operational, Humphrey hopes that it will be ready for use in January 2024. 

“It is a very exciting, very humbling experience for people to believe in what you’re trying to do and to put money into it to make it happen,” said Humphrey.

While construction may still be more than a year away, design work is moving along. The facility will be17,000 square foot, twice the size of the MVC current school of nursing, and is designed to be used for not only nursing classes, but to also be available for health-related programs that will be developed in the future.