BAR HARBOR, MAINE—Mount Desert Island Hospital today recognized a landmark $4 million commitment from Ruth M. Colket, reflecting the Colket family’s enduring dedication to the health and well-being of the Mount Desert Island community.
This transformational leadership gift, among the largest in the hospital’s history, supports the Building Our Future Campaign, MDI Hospital’s comprehensive initiative to expand and modernize its campus with a new state-of-the-art Emergency Department, upgraded surgical suites, a dedicated ambulance bay, and welcoming new patient entrances.
“Few have done more for the health and well-being of the MDI community than Ruth and the Colket family,” said Chrissi Maguire, President and CEO of MDI Hospital. “Their unmatched dedication, gracious leadership, and enduring commitment to service inspire all of us to imagine a healthier, stronger future.”
Ruth was among the first to step forward as an honorary chair of the Building Our Future Campaign, along with Bob and Arlene Kogod, David and Susan Rockefeller, and Dick Wolf. Their early commitments laid the groundwork for one of the most ambitious philanthropic efforts in the hospital’s 128-year history.
“I love this hospital, and I’m proud of everything it stands for,” said Ruth. “When I saw an opportunity to help, I knew I had to take action.”
To date, the Building Our Future Campaign has raised more than $53 million toward its $55 million goal. This once-in-a-generation effort is already transforming the hospital’s campus, with steel beams now framing what will become the new main entrance.
Generations of Service and Philanthropy
A nurse by training, Ruth began her career at Wilmington Medical Center in Delaware before marrying Tristram C. Colket Jr. in 1967. Tris, who passed away in 2020, was a lifelong champion of health and safety on MDI. Beginning as a volunteer firefighter in Bar Harbor in 1974, he dedicated decades to public service. In the family tradition, their son Tram also volunteered as a firefighter on MDI, and their son Bryan serves as a Pennsylvania paramedic and as an officer on the Board of the Northeast Harbor Ambulance Service.
The Colkets have long been among MDI Hospital’s most dedicated supporters.
- In 2004, they made the hospital’s first million-dollar gift, establishing the Colket Inpatient Care Center, which built modern inpatient units, a new ICU, and expanded nursing education.
- In 2010, their $3 million gift enabled MDI Hospital to purchase the Cadillac Mountain Medical Building and surrounding properties, increasing access to primary and specialty outpatient care.
- Alongside Dick Wolf, the Colkets were early champions of the hospital’s partnership with Penn Medicine, established in 2013. Today, Penn Medicine residents train at the hospital every summer as part of the hospital’s medical education program.
- In 2016, they funded two triage rooms in the Emergency Department in honor of Tris’s parents, Tristram C. and Ethel D. Colket.
“Ruth and the Colket family have shaped the future of our hospital and our community in extraordinary ways,” said Kimberly Swan, campaign chair. “We are profoundly honored by her trust, leadership, and vision.”
A Legacy of Giving
Five generations of Dorrances and Colkets have called MDI home. Tris’s grandparents, Ethel M. and John T. Dorrance, arrived on Mount Desert Island in the 1920s and faithfully supported the hospital and the Island community. Today, the Colket family’s generosity benefits local organizations that champion health, safety, and community well-being, including local fire and EMS services, the American Red Cross, Mount Desert Nursing Association, Maine Seacoast Mission, the Bar Harbor YMCA, Island Housing Trust, Friends of Acadia, Jesup Memorial Library, and many others.
Kenarden, the Colkets’ Bar Harbor home, is deeply tied to MDI Hospital’s founding story. Built in 1892 by John Stewart Kennedy and Emma Baker Kennedy, the estate was a gathering place for civic engagement and charitable activity. In 1897, John S. Kennedy—then among America’s leading philanthropists—became the first Chair of the Board of Trustees that established the Bar Harbor Medical and Surgical Hospital, later renamed as MDI Hospital.
The Kennedys’ philanthropy helped shape Bar Harbor’s civic life, establishing the Bar Harbor Athletic Field and the Bar Harbor YWCA, and supporting the Bar Harbor Water Company, Acadia National Park, and Maine Seacoast Mission.
A century later, the Colkets are extending the Kennedys’ remarkable tradition of service and generosity, and Kenarden reflects their commitment to the Island community. Every summer, Ruth hosts local nonprofits in this beautiful, historic setting to raise awareness and funds for causes benefiting MDI.
“We believe deeply in this community and in the people who care for it,” said Ruth. “It is gratifying to know that our family is helping to build a hospital that will serve and sustain this special place for years to come.”