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$5 Million Gift Establishes the Gary Olson Endowment Fund at St. Luke's Hospital

Chesterfield, Mo., July 16, 2014 - Jack C. Taylor, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle and the Crawford Taylor Foundation have contributed a total of $5 million to the Gary Olson Endowment Fund at St. Luke's Hospital.

Earlier this year, Olson, St. Luke's president and chief executive officer for the last 15 years, announced his intention to retire in January 2015 after a 36-year career at the hospital.

Jack C. Taylor is the founder of Enterprise Holdings, the company that operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands. Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, Jack Taylor's daughter, is president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm. She also manages the Crawford Taylor Foundation, the Taylor family charity.

"My family knows firsthand about the quality of care that St. Luke's Hospital provides our community," Jo Ann Taylor Kindle said. "We are pleased to support St. Luke's efforts to make our community healthier and to honor the work of Gary Olson in making St. Luke's a first-rate healing institution."

St. Luke's board of directors created the Gary Olson Endowment Fund in recognition of Olson's substantial contributions to both St. Luke's and the communities it serves.

"The fund will be a lasting legacy in honor of a man who has put his heart and soul into taking care of people at St. Luke's Hospital, including patients, patients' family members, physicians, staff members and volunteers," said Annie C. Schlafly, St. Luke's Hospital board of directors chair. "We are grateful for the tremendous support of Jack C. Taylor, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle and the Crawford Taylor Foundation as this will enable St. Luke's to maintain and enhance the culture that Gary has fostered at St. Luke's which inspires the entire healthcare team to provide excellent care to each and every patient."

The Gary Olson Endowment Fund will support the hospital's ability to continue to provide care for patients with insufficient financial resources, provide funding for innovations and collaborations to serve those in need, improve current technology and recruit high quality staff and physicians.

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