Middlesex Health, which operates Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, said Tuesday it received a $5.4 million donation, the largest single charitable gift in its history.
The money was donated by the Wright family, formerly of Essex, and was made via the Alfred R. Wright Trust.
The donation will be used to advance patient-centered care through investments in new facilities, technology and clinical excellence, hospital officials said.
The Wright family has ties to Middlesex County dating back to the late-1800s with the founding of Connecticut Valley Manufacturing in the Centerbrook section of Essex. The company, which manufactured wood-boring tools, was operated by four generations of the Wright family until it closed in 1969.
After receiving care at Middlesex Hospital, Alfred R. Wright, the third generation owner of the company, established a trust to benefit his family, including his granddaughters, Martha Wright Potter and Betsyanne Wright Tippette. He directed that the remaining funds support local charities, including Middlesex Health, helping advance the health system’s growth and innovation.
Following Tippette’s death in 2024, her estate fulfilled that vision.
Over the next three years, Middlesex Health said, it will invest $90 million in new facilities and advanced technology.
