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Jerry and Lynn Thrall |
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With six children and 14 grandchildren,
Jerry and Lynn Thrall said making a $1 million commitment
to name the playroom in the new Comer
Children’s Hospital was a natural. “Children
have always been first and foremost in our life,”
the Thralls said. “We thought, ‘Why not
see what we can do for someone else’s children
too?’ ”
While the extended Thrall family
members have made gifts to their personal favorite
charities for years, they recently decided to organize
their philanthropy and look for projects where, together,
they could make a more significant difference. “We
also hope the grandkids will learn by our example
that it is important to give back,” the Thralls
said.
Lynn Thrall’s vision for
the Thrall Family Playroom is “a very cheerful,
bright and happy place where children can forget about
their pain for a few moments.” For their part,
her daughters — Brooke and Jan, and daughters-in-law
Suzi, Polly, and Cynthia — bring previous experience
with playrooms, building projects and parenting to
the planning of the playroom.
“I’m thrilled to have
the Thralls involved in the planning process,”
said Pat Manning, Director of the Medical Center’s
Child Life program. “Thanks to them, we’ve
added important features, such as a medical play area,
to the design.”
As far as the members of the Thrall
family are concerned, the University of Chicago Medical Center
is their hospital. “We’ve always looked
to the University of Chicago when advanced treatment
is needed,” said Mr. Thrall. “It's tremendous
to be even more closely involved through our gift.”
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