Family's Generosity Elevates Cancer Care

Through more than $20 million in charitable gifts, philanthropy has been the cornerstone of making the state-of-the-art April Sampson Cancer Center and its innovative programming a reality.

It started in 2020 with a gift: 29 acres of scenic, undeveloped land in south Lincoln. Then came fundraising campaigns to build and equip not only the physical facility — a 140,000-square-foot marvel anchored by massive windows — but also the center’s support programs.

Family Comes Full Circle

Seeing the project come to fruition is a full-circle moment, says Cori Sampson Vokoun, whose family donated the land in honor of her mom, April, who died of breast cancer in 2016.

“I feel so much joy when I go into the building. It’s so perfect for the site. It’s perfect for the work that’s going to happen there. I’m really excited about it and really proud of it. The name of it hasn’t sunk in yet,” she says.

For the Sampson Construction team, the new structure is a professional project with personal ties. The Lincoln-based firm is the center’s construction manager, adding to the company’s decades-long history of building and renovating Bryan facilities in Lincoln and beyond.

"Being involved with Bryan as a friend, as a contractor and as a board member, I’ve always been so impressed with how Bryan has been relentless with getting what’s new and needed to its patients in Lincoln,” says Cori, a Sampson Construction vice president and former member of the Bryan Foundation and Bryan Health boards.

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To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation staff by calling 402-481-8605.