Anne Berner, chair of the foundation, was moved to tears at the start-off ceremony, organised at the excavation site for the new hospital in Meilahti, Helsinki.
“I have to say, I feel absolutely gobsmacked,” she said. “The fact that the construction can now begin and the surges of support and commitment from people are causes for celebration. So many people want to be a part of this, the best children’s hospital in the world, and have promised to help make it a reality.”
The estimated construction costs for the hospital are at 160 million euros. The Finnish government will pitch in with 40 million euros.
The fundraising is set to continue, however, so that as few loans as possible will have to be taken out to build the children’s hospital.