GLENDALE, Ariz (March 31, 2025) – While construction continues on Banner Thunderbird Medical Center’s new women and infant services tower, the hospital gave back to the community through a partnership with several construction companies and Cactus High School. The hospital worked with MBJ Engineering, Okland Construction, WSP Engineering, Devenney Group, Cannon & Wendt Electric and WD Manor Mechanical on a special community service project at Cactus High School, which is part of the Peoria Unified School District.
Volunteers from the hospital and the construction companies on Friday joined high school seniors at Cactus to revitalize a campus pond, transforming it into a thriving learning resource for students studying ecosystems. The initiative, led by the Class of 2025 as their senior gift, underscores their commitment to leaving a legacy at their school.
This project is the result of a grant from Arizona Game and Fish, which provides funding to help teachers across Arizona implement wildlife education in their classrooms and through School Connect, a local non-profit dedicated to fostering partnerships between businesses and schools.
“At Banner Health, we recognize the power of collaboration and the positive impact it can have on our communities,” said Pradeep Dugar, project executive for Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. “We are proud to partner with all the construction and design firms working on the future women and infant services tower and Peoria Unified School District to make a lasting difference at the revitalization of the campus pond at Cactus High School.”
About Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona, specializes in heart care, surgical services, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency and trauma care, behavioral health, cancer care, rehabilitation and pediatrics, including the West Valley’s only pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric Emergency department and Level III neonatal intensive care unit. Banner Thunderbird also operates a Level I Trauma Center for patients ages 15 and older. The hospital is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit health system with 33 hospitals in six states. For more information, please visit bannerhealth.com/thunderbird.
About Okland Construction
Okland Construction is a full-service general contractor with over 100 years of experience building across the Southwest and Mountain States. With offices in Arizona, Utah, and Idaho, we specialize in construction manager at risk and design-build delivery for projects in healthcare, technology, sports, office, higher education, municipal, and mixed-use markets. Founded in 1918, Okland is built on a legacy of integrity, innovation, and craftsmanship. Our 1,000+ team members are passionate about creating remarkable experiences through true partnership with clients, architects, engineers, and trade partners.
About Peoria Unified School District
Serving more than 35,000 students in 43 unique public schools across the northwest valley, the Peoria Unified School District educates tomorrow's leaders. For the past 130 years, Peoria Unified has been an Arizona public school district of choice, where students can receive a high-quality education rooted in the values that their families share. Peoria Unified meets the needs of all pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students through its variety of programs including S.T.E.A.M., arts education, special education, gifted education, career and technical education, athletics and more. To continue its long history of success, the district maintains its focus on four key components of its strategic plan: Student Success, Safety and Well-Being, Stewardship of Community Resources and Community Connection. The Peoria Unified School District continuously pursues its vision of “Every student, every day, prepared to shape tomorrow.”
For further information contact us at: media@bannerhealth.com
