Bentonville couple gives $1M toward NWA children's hospital

The drawing shows the Arkansas Children's Northwest architectural renderings as of Spring 2016.
The drawing shows the Arkansas Children's Northwest architectural renderings as of Spring 2016.

A Bentonville couple has given a $1 million gift toward a new children's hospital in Springdale, the third such donation announced in two weeks, the hospital's foundation announced Monday.

Karen and Darren Horton gave the $1 million. Their grandson, now 7, received five weeks of intensive pediatric care for a heart condition at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock a few days after he was born, according to a release from the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation.

The hospital plans to open a 230,000-square-foot, 24-bed facility called Arkansas Children's Northwest. It's set to provide emergency care, clinical offices and a helipad near Arvest Ballpark by early 2018.

"We want to make the burden of having a child in the hospital easier on other parents and grandparents," Karen Horton said in the news release. "We've been blessed, so it's our responsibility to give back to others."

The Hortons own Horton Farms at Dry Creek outside of Bentonville, and Darren Horton is chief executive officer of Bentonville-based Premier Concepts, a sales analysis company for vendors.

Premier Concepts last week dedicated $1 million to the hospital during the next five years. A week earlier, Kirk and Cynthia Dupps, who co-founded several banks in the area, also pledged $1 million.

"This local children's hospital will make a big difference for so many families," Darren Horton said in the release. "We hope our participation will inspire others to join the efforts to get this hospital built."

Total announced gifts for the $167 million project reached $29.5 million with the Hortons' donation, according to the release. It joined $8 million from Wal-Mart and the Walmart Foundation and $5 million from J.B. Hunt Transport Services, among others.

Metro on 07/26/2016

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