The-Laker-Issue-Fall-2021

foundation annual report College celebrates Sands Family Center for Allied Health groundbreaking Construction of the $7.2 million Sands Family Center for Allied Health at FLCC’s main campus is well underway following a June groundbreaking ceremony. The work is a combination of renovation and new construction to accommodate more students in the College’s nursing program. The expansion will increase enrollment in FLCC’s registered nursing (RN) program by 60 percent, helping meet the demand among both prospective nursing students and local healthcare systems. The College will also be able to launch a licensed practical nursing (LPN) program with the expansion. Major additions and enhancements include a larger nursing simulation laboratory with more patient bays for hands-on instruction, a holography lab allowing students to learn about anatomy and physiology using three-dimensional images, and the construction of a new health and wellness center that will merge student health services, counseling services, and the campus food pantry. The New York State Department of Labor projects the need for registered nurses in the Finger Lakes region alone will rise from 13,250 in 2016 to 15,660 by 2026, an 18 percent increase. The Labor Department projects the need for LPNs from 4,270 to 4,850 over the same period, a 13.6 percent increase. The project was made possible by a $3 million donation from the Sands Family Foundation, which represents the largest single gift FLCC has received since its founding in the late 1960s. In addition to the Sands gift, the FLCC Student Corporation has pledged $250,000 while the FLCC Foundation and the FLCC Association will each contribute $200,000. The Association provides dining, housing and other auxiliary services to the college. The FLCC Foundation raises private sector support for college projects and programs. New York State’s chief economic development agency, Empire State Development, will match these contributions with a $3.4 million contribution to the Sands Family Center for Allied Health. “When our father, Marvin Sands, founded Canandaigua Wine Company, the precursor to Constellation Brands, 80 years ago, he knew that the business would only be successful if we could also make a positive and lasting difference in our community,” Richard Sands, executive vice chairman of Constellation Brands, said at the groundbreaking. “As a family, we are committed to his ethic of care by offering a strategic, long-term approach to building up the institutions that form the foundation of strong communities.” the LAKER | 21 “This is the culmination of everything that my father and mother told me about building communities, especially those communities where you plan on doing business. To be successful, you need a community infrastructure behind you. So what does that all really mean? As dad said to us, what you really need in a community is a combination of a great healthcare system, you need great education, and you need culture and arts. So here we actually stand on top of a hill with the physical manifestations of arts and education, and we’re proposing something to add great value to our healthcare system. So you can’t ask for a more special moment for the Sands family…” — Richard Sands, during a ceremony at Finger Lakes Community College with the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in the background The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Sands Family Center for Allied Health was held on June 8. From left are Chris DeBolt, Ontario County administrator; Jack Marren, chair of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors; FLCC President Robert Nye; Richard Sands, an officer of the Sands Family Foundation; SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras and Thompson Health CEO Michael Stapleton.