The Centra Foundation has announced that it is the recipient of a bequest of $6.5 million from the Estate of Alan B. Pearson. This gift was given by Pearson to support the programs and services of Centra’s Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center.

According to Centra Foundation Executive Vice President Dr. Kathryn M. Pumphrey, Pearson, who passed away last November, was, “passionate about helping individuals diagnosed with cancer. Alan loved our community and wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives. And he always said we are extremely blessed to have such a skilled medical community,” Pumphrey said.

“This bequest, along with Alan’s previous contributions, makes his lifetime gift to the Centra Foundation the largest in the foundation’s history…over $10.8 million,”Pumphrey said.

Because of Pearson’s  philanthropy Centra opened the Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center in 2008, uniting a comprehensive array of services and state-of-the-art technology in a thoughtfully designed location.

The cancer center offers a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare providers who coordinate and accompany patients through their paths of treatment.

His support of cancer care at Centra began in 1998 with generous donations to the Centra Foundation to sponsor free prostate screenings for men who could not afford them. He also supported nursing scholarships for students attending the Centra College of Nursing.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Pearson for his generosity,” said E.W. Tibbs Jr., president and CEO of Centra. 

“He has always held this medical community in high regard, and this contribution will make a lasting difference in the lives of the people we serve.”

“We are proud to be entrusted with Mr. Pearson’s legacy,” said Curt Baker, vice president of Oncology services.