Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, wife donate $600K to The Children’s Hospital

OKLAHOMA CITY – The executive vice president and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder and his wife are donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine.

Officials with The Children’s Hospital announced on Thursday that Sam Presti and his wife, Shannon, are giving the hospital $600,000.

Hospital officials say thanks to the donation, two procedure rooms will receive renovations and technology upgrades in the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at The Children’s Hospital. It will also create “a nurturing and interactive space in the east lobby of The Children’s Hospital, transforming both indoor and outdoor areas for patients and families that will foster creativity and healing for patients during their stay.”

“Sam has been an engaged supporter of our mission and efforts and approached us last fall to determine how he and Shannon could most effectively make a positive difference for our patients and their families,” said Jon Hayes, president of The Children’s Hospital. “It became clear that Sam had a resolute sense of gratitude to the community and wanted to reciprocate in a way that would benefit all Oklahomans irrespective of location, socioeconomic status or any other barrier. The Prestis see a strong children’s hospital that endures well into the future as an essential aspect for all citizens of the state. We are so grateful for their generosity. At The Children’s Hospital, our highest priority is to provide quality patient and family-centered care and to improve the lives of children throughout the region. The Presti family’s gift helps us make every patient and family’s hospital stay as comfortable as possible, thereby improving their recovery and healing process.”