Giving Back to the Community
In 2020, the Mui Kwok Buddhist Temple in Edmonton made a $1 million pledge to the University Hospital Foundation. Such transformational generosity from the community enables true advancements in patient care and research, benefitting patients across Alberta and around the world.
We spoke with members of the Temple, including Abbot of Mui Kwok Buddhist Temple, Venerable Jianzong (Master Ivan), to gain a greater appreciation for their gift and why giving back to their community is so important.
Q: What is the history of the Mui Kwok Buddhist Temple in Edmonton?
A: The temple was established in 1990 by the late Venerable Wude. We were the first Chinese Mahayana Temple with a monastic community. We were located in the McCauley area until 2020 when we moved to our new temple in Beaumaris.
Q: Why is it important to give back to your community?
A: According to Buddha’s teaching, practicing generosity is one of the first steps on the Bodi Path. Five years ago, we pledged $1.5 million in support of higher education at the University of Toronto. In 2020, we observed how COVID affected health care so we felt giving to a healthcare organization was the best path. As a religious and spiritual organization, we felt it was our responsibility to give back to the community in any way possible.
Q: Why did you choose the University Hospital Foundation?
A: The University of Alberta Hospital is the largest hospital in Edmonton. We recognize its excellence in so many areas of health care including cardiology, neurology, transplant, and research, which can have such impact on innovation in health care in Alberta and around the world. It is also a teaching hospital and we wanted to support the next generation of healthcare workers. The University Hospital Foundation has a long history of supporting all of these areas, giving our pledge the greatest potential to multiply and become worth even more.
Q: What do you hope this pledge achieves?
A: We don’t know how far $1 million goes but we hope it can help in any area of emerging need
“Venerable jianzong, your desire to apply teachings of the buddha by engaging in activities that can benefit the community is incredibly inspiring. on behalf of the University Hospital Foundation, and the millions of lives your gift will change and save in the coming years, thank you.”
— Dr. Jodi L. Abbott, president and CEO of the University Hospital Foundation
Contact our Philanthropy team to learn how you can give back to your community at philanthropy@givetouhf.ca.