OTTAWA -- The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre Foundation is celebrating the largest philanthropic gift in its history.

Commissionaires Ottawa has donated $2 million to the Perley Rideau’s growing Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care.

“It just energizes the work that we’re doing even further,” Akos Hoffer, The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Care Centre CEO tells CTV News Ottawa. “What that money will be used to do is to advance and grow our Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, which conducts research; it helps to improve care, and it helps to spread knowledge and improve the education of those within Perley Rideau, across the country and internationally as well.”

According to a press release, the centre was established in 2019 with the mission to “optimize quality of life for seniors living with frailty in long-term care through innovative, evidence-based care, education and research.” This investment will be used to accelerate applied research in caring for aging seniors and Veterans.

Commissionaires Ottawa has a history of giving to the Perley Rideau.

“This opportunity was certainly one that we thought had a lot of value,” says Commissionaires Ottawa CEO Captain (N) Paul A. Guindon (Ret’d).

“For my board, and for myself, it’s the right thing to do, especially during this pandemic year, or year and a half. We’re really happy to do a little bit, and hopefully encourage others to do the same.”

The gift is part of a $10 million dollar fundraising campaign that aims to transform care for seniors across Canada, while continuing to care for hundreds of veterans and seniors living at the Perley-Rideau.