Tackling Cancer

Chico Native Aaron Rodgers Donates to Enloe’s Gonzales Comprehensive Cancer Center

Mike Wiltermood, Enloe Health’s President and CEO, stands with Aaron Rodgers and Jeff Kragel during a flag football tournament for charity in March. Rodgers donated $3 million to support Enloe Health’s new Gonzales Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets quarterback and Chico native, deeply values mindfulness. His decision to donate $3 million to Enloe Health’s new Gonzales Comprehensive Cancer Center will mean patients undergoing cancer treatment will not only receive quality care for the body, but also for the mind.

One million dollars of his gift will go toward the physical construction of the building. The other $2 million will help fund integrated supportive therapies and programs such as oncology psychiatric support, acupuncture, exercise therapies, nutritional education, massage therapies, and mindfulness meditative therapies. Expected to be housed on the first floor of the new 97,000-square-foot facility, the Aaron Rodgers Foundation Supportive Therapies suite will offer a therapeutic space that will help patients relax and be at ease.

Rodgers was happy to support the project, said Jeff Kragel, representing the Aaron Rodgers Foundation.

“With the high rates of cancer in our area, partnering with Enloe gives Aaron a chance to be part of the solution,” Kragel said.

The donation is one of the many philanthropic efforts Rodgers has made to the North State. From Camp Fire relief efforts to remedying the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses in Butte County, the Pleasant Valley High School and Butte College alumnus often gives back to the place he used to call home.

“Being able to bring that type of passion to his hometown to support something like this is very meaningful to him,” Kragel said. “Investing in Enloe allows Aaron to help enhance the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients throughout treatment to improve their quality of life.”

As part of his gift, Rodgers invited the Enloe Health Foundation to Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo on March 16 for the RX3 Growth Partners Culture Capital Charity Flag Football Tournament. RX3 Growth Partners, Rodgers’ venture capitalist group, hosted the event that featured many current and former NFL stars competing in a flag football tournament for charity.

“We were honored to attend and extremely grateful to Aaron for his generosity and support,” said Jolene Francis, Enloe Health’s Vice President of Philanthropy & Communications. “Aaron’s extraordinary philanthropic support will help thousands of patients from across the North State for years to come.”

Center Breaks Ground

The new cancer center broke ground in Chico on May 10. During the ceremony, officials revealed the building’s official name: the Gonzales Comprehensive Cancer Center — a title that honors Dan and Dawn Gonzales, who donated 13 acres of land to house the state-of-the-art facility.

“As a member of the Board of Trustees, it’s very meaningful to see this vision become a reality,” said Walt Schafer, Chair of Enloe Health’s Board of Trustees. “I’m very proud of the team and excited about this new center and what it’s going to mean for Chico and the North State.

“We have quite a number of friends who either have cancer or have had cancer, many of whom have had to go out of town for treatment. So we’ve heard many people express gratitude that Enloe is expanding to improve cancer services here at home.”

The Gonzales Comprehensive Cancer Center is expected to open in 2026.

Want to support this project? The Enloe Health Foundation is continuing its fundraising efforts. To date, the Foundation has raised nearly $17 million for the center. It hopes to raise $20 million to contribute toward the $154 million cost.

Learn more at www.enloe.org/campaign.