You didn’t see Rakesh and Vinita Gupta cutting the ceremonial ribbon on June 11 for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine.
That honor went to Hershey Bell, the founding dean of the school; Stanley Wearden, the Methodist University president; Suzanne Blum Malley, the school provost and executive vice president; Mike Nagowski, the now retired chief executive officer of the health system; his successor Dan Weatherly; Dr. Franklin Clark, chair of the medical school; and Kirk deViere, chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
The Guptas were in the audience, but they were cheering on the day in anticipation of July 20, when the first class of 64 medical students arrive at the school along Village Drive. Rakesh and Vinta Gupta are like that. You never see them looking for accolades for their giving ways when it comes to this community.
They are, no less, a significant part of this medical school, and in the spring gifted a $500,000 donation, with $100,000 immediately available as merit scholarships for students, according to a press release. The remaining $400,000 is invested as endowed Enrichment Scholarships and will be awarded to qualifying students at the end of their first year of medical school.
“The extraordinary generosity of Drs. Rakesh and Vinita Gupta will have a lasting impact on our School of Medicine and the students we serve,” Bell, 68, said in the release. “By supporting both merit scholarships and enrichment opportunities, their gift not only helps attract exceptional future physicians but also empowers students to pursue experiences that will broaden their perspectives and strengthen their commitment to serving others. This scholarship reflects the Guptas’ deep belief in education, mentorship and the transformative power of investing in the next generation of physician leaders.”
Rakesh Gupta is a retired gastroenterologist and serves as a trustee for Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health. He was chief of medicine at Cape Fear Valley Health from 1996-1998. An Army veteran, Vinita Gupta is a retired pediatrician and spent more than two decades at Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg.
Compassionate Hearts for Others
When it comes to the good health of those in Cumberland County and beyond, they care with an unbridled compassion for all.
That compassion has not gone unnoticed.
Rakesh Gupta recently was honored with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and Vinita Gupta with the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award by the Methodist University board of trustees.
“I can think of no one who epitomizes noble character and hearts of humble servants or who places service before self-interest more than Drs. Rakesh and Vinita Gupta,” Wearden, 72, said in the release. “They have been generous benefactors to MU, including a recent very large scholarship gift to the school of medicine. They also are two of the kindest and most welcoming people I know.”
Wearden said it right, and you cannot say it better.
When it comes to Fayetteville and Cumberland County, you will find Rakesh and Vinita Gupta at the head of the line with their generous giving to everything from the Cumberland Community Foundation, Better Health of Cumberland County, CARE Clinic, Cape Fear Botanical Garden, and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. And they helped in the founding of the Hindu Bhavan Temple in east Fayetteville, where they have volunteered and served as youth leaders.
“We are incredibly grateful to Drs. Rakesh and Vinta Gupta,” Blum Malley, who will succeed Wearden as Methodist University president in 2027, said in the release. “As incredibly generous benefactors to several causes and organizations in and around Fayetteville, they are shining examples of what it means to serve your community. Their most recent gift in support of scholarships to the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine creates an enduring legacy as we educate the next generation of compassionate, socially accountable medical doctors who will serve our region.”
Where there is a need, you’ll find Rakesh and Vinita Gupta.
“Anyone who supports the CAC is greatly appreciated,” said John Webster, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center, told CityView on Tuesday, “and we appreciate anyone’s efforts to help the CAC continue its goal of being a place of healing and hope for those children in the community who need our services.”
Or lend an ear to Lucy Jones, who along with her husband, Wes Jones, is an ardent supporter for others in the community.
“Drs. Vinita and Rakesh Gupta are such caring and giving citizens within our community, especially for organizations dealing with health and children,” Lucy Jones told CityView on Tuesday. “Rakesh has been a powerful force in the development of our amazing, exciting and so beneficial new medical school. Both of them are strong donors to our medical school, as well as donors to many key local organizations such as the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Better Health and the Child Advocacy Center. Our community is, without a doubt, a better place due to their caring and hard work, plus their generosity.”
Epilogue
Rakesh and Vinita Gupta don’t covet awards. To know them is to know they just are a husband and wife with hearts for others in this community. Come to know them, and you will say so, too.
“Vinita and I are very honored, humbled and grateful for the recognition, and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan awards,” Rakesh Gupta told CityView on Tuesday.
“We could not be more thankful and not something that we saw coming. We want to thank the university and my fellow trustees for their consideration as we accept these awards to both of us on behalf of so many tireless volunteers and donors in this wonderful Fayetteville community.
“We have always believed that giving back is more rewarding and almost cathartic. We believe in education and supporting medical students and providing opportunities through scholarships, and enrichment is the best way to support them in their future. We hope to encourage others in this endeavor.
“We wish to recognize our teachers, mentors and parents,” Rakesh Gupta said, “for their guidance and support as we continue on this journey.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
