Paula and Randy Ringhaver give $75 million to Mayo Clinic in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspired by the memory of their infant son and Mayo Clinic's vision for the future of healthcare, Paula and Randy Ringhaver of St. Augustine, Florida, have made a $75 million gift to Mayo Clinic in Florida. The gift will support Bold. Forward. Unbound., Mayo Clinic's investment across the organization to transform healthcare through integrated digital and physical spaces.

In 1980, the Ringhavers' son, Randal "Lee" Ringhaver, Jr., passed away at 8 1/2 months old from an aggressive form of leukemia. Their daughter, Bree, was 2 1/2 years old at the time of Lee's passing. To honor his memory, the family has chosen to name the newly expanded hospital tower at Mayo Clinic in Florida the Lee Ringhaver Tower.

"When we walk into the tower, we feel optimism and confidence," says Paula Ringhaver. "It symbolizes growth and progress. We believe in what Mayo Clinic is building here, and we trust that Lee's legacy will live on through the care and hope this tower represents."

The Ringhavers' connection to Mayo Clinic spans generations. Randy Ringhaver's father, L.C. "Ring" Ringhaver, received care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and became an ardent advocate. Over the years, other members of the Ringhaver family and employees of Ring Power — the family-founded heavy equipment company — have received life-changing care at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

"We've seen firsthand the value of having Mayo Clinic's expertise close to home for our family and for Ring Power employees," says Randy Ringhaver. "This gift reflects the values our company was built on, including giving back to the communities we serve, and it demonstrates our confidence in Mayo Clinic's future."

Lee Ringhaver Tower is a central component of Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Florida, the initiative the Ringhavers' gift supports. A five-story expansion of the tower began serving patients in 2025, adding 121 new rooms and integrating digital technologies that empower patients and support more personalized care. The tower also includes shell space for future growth and capacity for three additional stories.

"Philanthropy makes it possible for us to build the future of healthcare," says Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. "We are deeply grateful to Paula and Randy for their extraordinary generosity and trust. Their gift will change lives — now and for generations to come — in our community and around the world."

Including the Lee Ringhaver Tower expansion, Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Florida encompasses more than 725,000 square feet of new clinical, research and education space. It includes the Duan Family Building, which contains the Americas' first carbon ion therapy system; a biomanufacturing expansion; and a soon-to-be-constructed research and education building. Along with adding more capacity, these facilities feature innovative digital technologies that help them function like members of the care team. Across Mayo Clinic, Bold. Forward. Unbound. will add more than 4 million square feet of transformative spaces to the campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Together, these investments advance Mayo Clinic's Bold. Forward. strategy to transform healthcare through cures, data and new care delivery models that enable patients to access Mayo Clinic's expertise anytime, anywhere.

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SOURCE Mayo Clinic