Screenshot from Valley Children's Hospital's YouTube channel.

One local donor is using his money to help the families of patients at Valley Children’s Hospital pay for costs associated with hospitalization.

Claude C. Laval III donated $1 million to Valley Children’s Patient Fund that distributes money to families who have to take extended leave from work to manage child care according to a press release from the hospital. Money often goes toward expenses such as rent or toward car repairs that come with constant traveling to and from the hospital.

In response to the donation, Valley Children’s named the fund after Claude and Betty Lou Laval Angel Fund — after Laval and his late wife.

“Valley Children’s Hospital is an incredible asset to our region, which we have long supported,” Laval said in the release. “Because the hospital serves children from different circumstances, over such a wide area, oftentimes, both the patient and their parents have unmet and unexpected needs. Previously, there have been only limited funds to support these emergencies, and we hope these funds begin to change that. Our gift has been structured in such a way that it will match funds donated by others, hopefully allowing the Angel Fund to grow and make a significant impact on children’s health and well-being.”

Laval was born and raised in Fresno and graduated from Fresno High School and Stanford University.

In the 1970s and 1980s, his wife served on the Board of Trustees for Valley Children’s. Laval’s daughter, Mendy Laval Alkotob, has served as a trustee since 2000.

In addition to his other endeavors, Laval worked in the water-filtration industry, eventually selling his company Lakos Filtration Systems to Lindsay Corporation, a Nebraska-based company in 2013.

Laval has served to help businesses through positions on the board of the Central Valley Business Incubator, International Center for Water Technology and the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Laval was also a founder of the Fresno Business Council.