Kitsap Credit Union committed to give Harrison Medical Center $100,000 toward its $8 million-nursing campaign, Great Nurses for a Great Community.

The gift will be paid over the next five years. It is the largest gift to be made to date from a community organization, according to Harrison. Other gifts from businesses include $25,000 by Rice Fergus Miller Architecture & Planning LLP and $25,000 from Stirrett-Johnsen Inc.

“We are bolstered by these incredible gestures of local generosity,” Harrison President and CEO Scott Bosch stated in a news release. “It is a challenging economic climate for everyone and to have these businesses step forward and demonstrate their commitment to Harrison Medical Center as a valued community asset is both humbling and affirming.”

Through the Great Nurses for a Great Community Campaign, Harrison seeks to raise $8 million for education initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining nurses for the community.

“We know that our employees and our members can appreciate the efforts Harrison Medical Center is making to provide safe, quality care for the community, including recruiting and retaining the very best nurses,” Kitsap Credit Union President and CEO Elliot Gregg stated in a news release. “This campaign addresses a critical issue both locally and nationally as hospitals around the country confront a growing nurse shortage.”