University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, has received the largest philanthropic donation in the organization’s history, a $20 million transformational gift from Danny and Gail Jones, philanthropists and owners of Jones Junction automotive business, at the health system’s biennial Starnight Gala November 2.
 
The Jones’ long-term philanthropic investment is a gift today, an ongoing gift and a gift from their estate that will support both behavioral health/mental health and primary care programs. In the early years, this investment will be used for operating or capital improvements, expanding services to keep University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health on the cutting edge, continually advancing the community’s health care. The estate portion of this gift will create an endowment to support behavioral/mental health and the primary care program.
 
“I am humbled by Danny and Gail Jones for their incredibly generous and transformational philanthropic investment to keep health care close to home. While Harford County is a growing community, there’s still the feeling of friends and neighbors helping friends and neighbors. And that’s exactly what Danny and Gail have done. Their gift is a shining example of true philanthropy in action and will help those they know and those they never will know. We thank them for their foresight and generosity,” said Elizabeth Wise, FACHE, MSN, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of UM UCH.
 
The new bed tower at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air will be named the Danny and Gail Jones Tower, and Upper Chesapeake Primary Care will be renamed the Danny and Gail Jones Primary Care Program at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. Signage for the bed tower goes up this week. Installation of new signage for the primary care sites will begin later.
 
Danny and Gail Jones are Harford County natives and third generation owners of Jones Junction. For more than two decades, Jones Junction and the Jones family have made many generous gifts to UM Upper Chesapeake Health totaling nearly $1 million. The Jones family’s first leadership gift supported the capital campaign to build UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UM UCMC) in Bel Air. More recently, Jones Junction and the Jones family’s philanthropy has benefited Cancer LifeNet at the Kaufman Cancer Center and the Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill.

“We like to help take care of people,” said Gail Jones. “You are only here for a short period of time, and you have to do what you can, while you can, to help the community. We do that through our business every day and so do the incredible team members at UM UCH,” said Danny Jones. “This hospital system is so important, and we don’t know how the community would survive without it. We are pleased to support UM Upper Chesapeake Health because it provides quality health care to our community—our friends and neighbors.”
 
At the Starnight Gala more than 650 guests gathered at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. In addition to the announcement of the Jones’ philanthropic investment, the evening raised $1 million for Cancer LifeNet, a program that provides supportive care services to all residents of Harford, Cecil and Northern Baltimore counties, regardless of where cancer treatment is received. Based at the Kaufman Cancer Center at UM UCMC, the program is fully funded through philanthropy.
 
The 2024 Starnight Gala Committee was co-chaired by Janie Kilby and Jayne Klein. Vice Chairs were Rosemary Hajek, Sarah Klein and Orsia Young, Starnight chair emeritus.
 
Among the video tributes at the Starnight Gala was one featuring Young. A year ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment at the Kaufman Cancer Center. “Cancer is the great equalizer. We all need the services of the Kaufman Cancer Center,” Young said, praising the care she received.
 
As chair of the gala for 20 years, Young was always passionate about raising funds for Cancer LifeNet. Never did she think she would be the recipient of its services. She recalled touring the cancer center at its opening, being impressed by the facilities and thinking she “felt at home.” That was exactly her experience over the past year. She embraced the gift of community that Cancer LifeNet and the Kaufman Cancer Center provide to cancer patients and their families.
 
The Starnight Gala concluded a celebratory year for UM Upper Chesapeake Health, which included the opening of the state-of-the-art UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen campus and two additions to the Bel Air campus—a 75,000-square foot patient bed tower and Pavilion 3, providing outpatient surgery and advanced specialty services, including the Jay and Orsia Young Surgical Institute. This year also marked the 10^th anniversary of the Kaufman Cancer Center, which offers the most advanced cancer treatments and supportive services with access to national experts and promising clinical trials.
 
It's not too late to be part of UM Upper Chesapeake Health’s celebratory year. For those who would like to make a donation, visit www.uchfoundation.org.