Halliburton CEO donates $500,000 to hospital fund

The North Valley Hospital's Capital Campaign Committee recently announced it received a very significant gift — a $500,000 cash contribution from the Lesar family to help build the new Center of Healing.

The Capital Campaign has now reached 70 percent of its $6.3 million goal to date, with $4.4 million.

Dave and Sherry Lesar have been part of the Whitefish community for several years, where they recently helped with a donation to build the community's new ice arena. They grew up in a small town in Wisconsin.

"We're glad to help," said Dave Lesar. "We chose Whitefish for a number of reasons. Of course, it's beautiful, it's a friendly town, with great people and a superb quality of life. A town like Whitefish deserves an excellent hospital."

The Lesars have two children in college and a home in Houston, where Dave Lesar is chairman of the board, president and CEO of Halliburton. Each year, Halliburton donates more than $3 million in volunteer hours and in-kind donations to help hundreds of non-profit organizations and charities around the world.

"Halliburton embraces community goodwill throughout the world," Dave Lesar said. "Halliburton's 100,000 employees worldwide generously share their energy and spirit in donating time and money to worthwhile causes, especially those with a focus on health and education."

The $500,000 gift to North Valley Hospital was a personal contribution from the Lesars. The family has reserved the medical/surgical department for their naming opportunity. They say they are both interested in helping North Valley Hospital and want to find out more about the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care.

"The Planetree approach is an innovative one, encompassing the body, mind and spirit," Dave Lesar said.