Iowa's Ferentz donates $1 million to Iowa Children's Hospital

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is opening up his pocketbook and digging way down deep for a great cause.

Ferentz, along with his wife Mary, announced Wednesday that they have committed a whopping $1 million donation to The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital to help create what will be known as the "Savvy Ferentz Program in Neonatal Research," according to Vanessa Miller of The Gazette.

The program is named after Ferentz's late granddaughter, Savvy Elizabeth, who was born at 22 weeks gestation in August of 2014.

“We knew Savvy was born too early,” Mary Ferentz said in a statement. “We also knew they do extraordinary things at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital that would give her a fighting chance. We were thankful for that.”

The UI Foundation confirmed the program's primary focus will be to improve patient care and outcomes for babies born prematurely.

“This gift from the Ferentzes will help us capitalize on our strengths, advance our research, and, most important, make an impact on the lives of many Iowa children and their families, now and far into the future,” Jeffrey Segar, pediatrics professor for the UI Carver College of Medicine, said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for their support.”