The Walt Disney Company Foundation presented a $1 million check to Raul Mena, MD, medical director of cancer services at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, in honor of T. J. Baptie, who recently retired as the company's vice president of community relations for Disney Worldwide Outreach.

The check presentation was made during a special ceremony held May 10, on the Disney campus in Burbank. The gift will be used to help build the Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center.

"T.J. Baptie and The Walt Disney Company have always been great supporters and friends of the Providence Saint Joseph Foundation and the Medical Center," said Dr. Mena. "We greatly appreciate this generous gift, which effectively completes the capital campaign to raise $33.1 million to build the cancer center,"

For Patricia Modrzejewski, president of Providence Saint Joseph Foundation, this was a dramatic end to a two-year campaign to raise the funds. "It all began with the lead gift of $10 million from Roy and Patricia Disney in 2005. They gave us a terrific start, and it is wonderful that we have come full circle at the end of the campaign with this million-dollar gift from The Walt Disney Company Foundation. We could not be more thrilled," she said.

The Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center is currently scheduled to open in late 2008. Ground is expected to be broken later this year. The cancer center will be the finest of its kind in the Valley, combining the compassionate care that Providence Saint Joseph is known for, with state-of-the-art technology and medical care.

As a truly integrated cancer center, it will provide a wide spectrum of services that include medical, gynecologic and radiation oncology, surgical specialties, clinical research, genetic counseling, supportive services and a library resource center. The 55,000-square-foot building will be conveniently located on the corner of Buena Vista and Alameda Avenue, across from the medical center.

"Our patients and their families will have access to the best and latest in care in one place close to the hospital. They will no longer have to travel all over the Valley to cobble together their cancer care. We could not be more delighted," Mena said.