TravelCenters of America Founder Donates $10 Million to NY Medical Center

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- E. Philip Saunders, founder of TravelCenters of America, the country's largest truck stop chain, donated $10 million to the University of Rochester Medical Center, the center announced.

The gift will be used to support neuromuscular and cancer research, the center said. Saunders' daughters previously underwent treatment at URMC for those conditions. Saunders dedicated his donation to U.S. armed forces members and veterans to honor their service.

"The most important thing Phil has done today is give thousands and thousands of patients hope," said Dr. Bradford C. Berk, chief executive of URMC. Around 750 employees of the medical center work in research and clinical care for brain and nervous systems diseases.

Saunders previously donated over $1 million to URMC in the past decade. The Rochester Institute of Technology's business college is also named after Saunders in honor of his further philanthropy. In addition to TravelCenters of America, Saunders also created the Sugar Creek chain of convenience stores, which is now part of Tops markets Inc.