INDIANAPOLIS — Ascension St. Vincent Foundation's 16th annual Celebration of Caring Gala set a fundraising record Thursday.
In total, $2 million was raised, which will go toward the hospital's new Women and Children’s Tower at Ascension St. Vincent. It brings the total raised for the project to more than $25 million.
The event was hosted by NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. He also took part in a question-and-answer session that included former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee.
"This $23 million tells me people here care just as much as I do about families in Indiana getting the care they need. And look, we can't do this alone, and tonight, we're really feeling the love from donors in Indiana," Manning said. "So it's a special feeling, it's a great accomplishment, but there's still more work to be done."
The Irsay family, owners of the Colts, made a $500,000 donation to the hospital. Carlie Irsay Gordon and Kalen (Irsay) Jackson made the surprise announcement.
A silent auction also took place, with items including suite tickets for the upcoming Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"(Peyton Manning) has been involved in every aspect of us providing care in the community, raising money so we can provide care in the community that we wouldn't otherwise be able to, raising money for programs, raising money for the new Women's Tower," said Kevin Speer, CEO of Ascension St. Vincent.
Fundraising for the tower, set to open this year, will continue. Click here for information on how you can support the Care for Tomorrow campaign.