CHEEKTOWAGA – Restaurateur Russell J. Salvatore visited Sisters Hospital, St. Joesph Campus Tuesday morning to kick-off a TV installation project made possible by his foundation’s generous gift.
Last year, Mr. Salvatore’s foundation donated $250,000 to Sisters Hospital to upgrade the television service at the hospital’s Main Street and St. Joesph campuses.
“That translates into more than 250 hi-definition TVs,” Sisters CEO Martin Borszak said.  “It’s these type of amenities that make any hospital stay a little more comfortable, a little bit easier to tolerate, and a little bit better for the families as they come through our facilities.”
The hospital has begun the wiring to support the new televisions. They’ll be installed in all of the hospital’s patient rooms, all of the waiting rooms, and all of the family support space at St. Joes.
The donation is part of a community-wide passion project for Mr. Salvatore.
“It’s been my goal since I broke my ankle a few hundred years ago to take care of all the hospitals. We’re down to the last four hospitals, and we have given close to over 5,000 television sets to hospitals,” Mr. Salvatore said.
Associates of Mr. Salvatore have crunched the numbers and tell him that by upgrading television service in Western New York hospitals he reaches around 5 million people every year.
“Isn’t that unbelievable,” Mr. Salvatore added.  “I feel so honored to be able to do this for the community. I’m a believer that you can’t take it with you. I’m getting older and will continue to please the people that have made me successful in this world.”