Murray Auto Group Donates $1,000,000 to Bringing Hearts Home Campaign
February 9, 2026
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“As we mark the 100th anniversary of the Murray Auto Group, our family wanted to find a truly meaningful way to celebrate this milestone. Supporting the Bringing Hearts Home Campaign felt like the right choice, a way to give back to one of the communities that has supported us for generations. This gift isn’t just about today; it’s about strengthening Lethbridge for the future and recognizing the incredible employees and customers who have made the Murray Auto Group the success it is. If our gift saves even one person’s life… well, you can’t put a price on that. We’re very pleased to be in a position to help our community today and for years to come.”
— Chris Murray, Murray Auto Group
The Murray Auto Group was founded in 1926 in Brandon, Manitoba, by Chris’s grandfather and now includes approximately 30 dealerships across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta, with Chris and his brothers representing the third generation of family leadership.
This gift represents another important step forward in the Foundation’s $30 million Bringing Hearts Home Cardiac Campaign. The initiative is designed to ensure that more patients across Southern Alberta can access advanced cardiac care closer to home, reducing the need to travel to Calgary and helping families stay together when it matters most.
Transforming Cardiac Care — Right Here in southern Alberta
The Cardiac Centre project will significantly elevate cardiac care at Chinook Regional Hospital by expanding services and repurposing existing hospital space to support new interventional, diagnostic, and critical-care capacity. Planned key enhancements include:
Two cardiac catheterization labs
Two electrophysiology labs
Expanded cardiac diagnostics, including echo, stress testing, and Holter monitoring
Dedicated cardiac CT and MRI imaging capacity
A modernized ICU and redeveloped Coronary Care Unit with enhanced patient safety and infection-control design
“This project will fundamentally change how cardiac care is delivered in our region." said Dr. Sayeh Zielke - Physician Lead for Cardiac Services in the AHS South Zone. "We are addressing the problem of having the highest cardiovascular death rate in the province and keeping patients and their loved ones together when it matters most thanks to the generosity of people like the Murray family and Murray Auto Group. We are so thankful for your support.
Chris also reflected that “car dealerships are community builders,” noting that dealerships have historically helped strengthen the towns and communities they serve and that supporting critical health care is a natural extension of that role.
“With every new gift, we move one step closer to ensuring patients and families can access critical cardiac care close to home,” said Crystal Elliott, CEO of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation. “We are deeply grateful to the Murray family and Murray Auto Group for their leadership, generosity, and belief in a healthier future for southern Alberta.”
