Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children, the largest children's hospital in Hawai'i, said it has received a $500,000 gift from Stanford Carr and Clyde Kaneshiro, two Honolulu business executives whose children received critical care at the hospital.

The medical center's ward for newborns has been named the Kaneshiro & Carr Nursery in honor of the $250,000 that Carr and Kaneshiro each donated. Carr is head of home builder Carr Development Corp. Kaneshiro heads Honolulu Recovery Systems.

"It is a significant gift," said Martha Smith, Kapi'olani Medical Center chief operating officer.

"We are a nonprofit and do rely on philanthropy and community support."

Kapi'olani's foundation receives about $2.2 million to $3 million each year from donors. Last year, 6,061 babies were born at the hospital, 600 of whom were premature or low birth-weight babies who spent time in the neonatal intensive-care unit. The 117-year-old hospital has 197 beds and 90 bassinets, and also treats about 200 children for cancer annually.

Kapi'olani said two of Carr's three children born at the hospital were six weeks premature and spent significant time at the facility, and both of Kaneshiro's sons spent time at Kapi'olani.

The donations by Carr and Kaneshiro will be used for equipment for the newborn nursery as well as other programs.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.