10/11/2021
Trefz family’s most recent donation to the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project promotes a healthier community
Picture (left to right): Christian J. Trefz; Dr. Majid Sadigh, Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health; and Eva Trefz
Christian J. (Chris) and Eva Trefz of Westport, Connecticut, longtime Norwalk Hospital donors and advocates for global and public health, have made a significant financial gift in support of the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project — which they believe will be a “beautiful, visible, and special” addition to Norwalk Hospital’s facilities. The project — the largest in the hospital’s history — includes a new seven-floor, 180,000-square-foot inpatient tower and extensive renovations to the existing Norwalk Hospital campus.
“It’s so important that we keep our community hospital healthy through initiatives like the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project,” said Chris, who serves as director of the Norwalk Hospital Foundation Board and executive vice president and treasurer of Trefz Corporation, a family-run business that owns and operates 49 McDonald’s restaurants in Connecticut and New York. “For the hospital to be in a position to blossom, it needs to be current and have the latest equipment and facilities.”
The new pavilion will be on the southeast corner of the Norwalk Hospital campus and replace the Community Pavilion built in 1953 and the Tracey Pavilion built in 1918. The pavilion will provide modern inpatient care and a comfortable, soothing environment.
The couple’s support of the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project is the most recent example of their commitment to community health. Since 1987, Chris and Eva have made generous donations to The Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center at Norwalk Hospital (naming the Christian J. and Eva W. Trefz and Family Lobby) and the Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health.
The Trefz Family Chair, which is held by the distinguished global health expert Dr. Majid Sadigh, was the first endowment of its kind in the state of Connecticut and one of only a handful of hospital-based endowed global health chairs in the nation. The couple have also made significant contributions to other local and national not-for-profits, including the Westport Library, American Red Cross, Americares and many other charitable organizations.
“The more we get involved at Norwalk Hospital, the more inspired we become,” said Eva. “From supporting Dr. Sadigh’s work through the Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health, to our pride in the way our hospital has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, to funding the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project, we are so grateful to be a part of Norwalk Hospital’s mission and history.”
“The generosity of Chris and Eva Trefz – through health and education initiatives that affect local and international communities — continues to amaze us at Norwalk Hospital,” said Peter R. Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital. “We are grateful for the family’s leadership and service to our hospital, its programs and our region.”
Chris and Eva said they are honored to contribute to Norwalk Hospital and look forward to watching support for the Norwalk Hospital Pavilion Project — and future initiatives — continue to grow. “I’ve been blessed,” said Chris. “Supporting Norwalk Hospital — and particularly the global health program — is one of the finer things I’ve done in my life. My heart is with the Hospital.”
Learn more about the Pavilion Project.
For more information about the Pavilion Project, please contact the Norwalk Hospital Foundation by emailing foundation@nuvancehealth.org or by calling 203-852-2216.