Estes Express Lines, family commit $2M to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Funding going toward construction of Wonder Tower

Published January 6, 2021 by Sydney Lake

The Children’s Hospital Foundation announced Wednesday that Richmond-based Estes Express Lines donated $150,000 — with another $1.85 million committed from the Estes family — to support the construction of the Wonder Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

The 16-story Wonder Tower will be home to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s pediatric trauma center, emergency room, inpatient units, operating rooms and space for imaging and family amenities.

The two Estes donations were matched by the Children’s Hospital Foundation, bringing the total investment to $4 million. The hospital is running a campaign to raise $100 million for the project, and the foundation is matching the first $25 million in community contributions. Estes Express Lines provides freight shipping services to regional, national, international and global clients.

“We are a family-owned business that’s had the honor of working with thousands of Richmond-area families for nearly 90 years,” said Rob Estes, president and CEO Estes Express Lines, one of the largest privately-owned freight carriers in North America, in a statement. “Children deserve the best possible medical care when they need it, and we’re proud to support Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, as a company and as a family.”

Some parts of the Wonder Tower will be named for Estes, including the hospital’s loading dock. 

“We’re grateful they’ve added their voice and support to our mission to build a world-class pediatric hospital in Richmond,” Children’s Hospital Foundation President and CEO Lauren Moore said in a statement about Estes. “They’re truly a values-focused company and family, and their gifts reflect the importance they place on protecting children and their childhoods.”

Construction on the Wonder Tower is expected to be completed in spring 2023.

“It will be a beacon of hope for kids and families across the commonwealth, while helping us attract and retain top talent so our children have access to be the best care, close to home,” Children’s Hospital of Richmond CEO Elias Neujahr said in a statement.

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