A Gift to Benefit All: Bill and Sally Martin’s Visionary Support for Sports Medicine

With strong ties to athletics and a goal to advance health care for everyone, Bill and Sally Martin are pleased that their $1 million gift to kick off fundraising efforts for a sports medicine facility at the University of Michigan is helping Michigan Medicine realize that vision. The health system announced in September 2025 that it would build the Nathan and Catherine Forbes Sports Medicine Institute in Ann Arbor, and planning and design are now underway.

Creating a home for leading experts in sports medicine to care for the community and advance the field will have a far-reaching impact, says Bill Martin, a real estate and banking executive who served as athletic director for the University of Michigan from 2000 to 2010. He has known and worked with Asheesh Bedi, M.D., Michigan Medicine’s executive director of sports medicine and a longtime U-M team doctor, for many years.

“I’m passionate about supporting medicine because it takes care of all of the citizens of our state,” he says. “This gift honors my relationship with Michigan Athletics and my admiration for Asheesh. Plus, it will enhance medicine for everyone. These are all very important to me.”

The Martins’ foundational donation played a key role in Michigan Medicine’s ability to move this project forward, and it inspired others to learn more about the opportunity, says Bedi, also the Ashken Family Professor and Executive Director of Sports Medicine.

“The Martins’ incredible work and contributions at the university combined with their remarkable generosity are exactly what allows us to build transformative and uniquely impactful programs at Michigan,” he says. “Philanthropy is making this world-class facility a reality, and ongoing fundraising will be critical to helping us realize the institute’s full potential across patient care, research, and education. We want to bring world-class care to everyone in our community and to be the most consequential sports medicine program for not only our state but for patients across the world.”

Michigan Medicine recognized a lead gift from Nathan and Catherine Forbes by naming the institute in their honor, and several other business leaders and community members have contributed. Nathan and Catherine Forbes are co-chairs of U-M’s Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $7 billion in the pursuit of excellence and to serve the public good.

The Forbes Sports Medicine Institute, a campaign priority, will catalyze advanced care from across Michigan Medicine. Premier specialty services will be provided by sports medicine and orthopedic surgery teams as well as partners in primary care, radiology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The institute will serve as the hub of Michigan Medicine’s sports medicine network, coordinating expertise across seven hospitals and 30 outpatient clinics across the state. For patients, that means they can access team-based sports medicine care closer to home.

A Game Changer for All Athletes

As a nationally preeminent center, the Forbes Sports Medicine Institute will redefine how athletes of all ages and levels receive care: from diagnosis to surgery, to rehabilitation and ultimately return to sport, all under one roof and with one coordinated team, Bedi explains. It will serve professional athletes seeking elite treatment, and it will strengthen Michigan Medicine’s partnership with Michigan Athletics by providing unparalleled care for student-athletes and bolstering athletic recruiting.

The institute will be home to advanced research and innovation, enabling breakthroughs in injury prevention, biomechanics, regenerative medicine, and performance science. And it will enable faculty to better train the next generations of sports medicine leaders.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for donors to help elevate Michigan Medicine as an international leader in the field of sports medicine, and we will make the most of their support,” Bedi says.

Bill Martin is the founder of First Martin Corporation, a commercial real estate firm based in Ann Arbor, and the founder and former chair of Bank of Ann Arbor. Sally Martin is president of the Martin Family Foundation.

“We were inspired by our connection to Michigan Athletics and wanted to do anything we could to enhance treatments for not only athletes, but for everyone,” Sally Martin says. “I’m excited about the program Michigan Medicine is building. Having a facility like this is so important. I’m happy to invest for the future.” 

If you are interested in joining the Martins in supporting this effort, please visit Giving to the Nathan and Catherine Forbes Sports Medicine Institute.

About the Look to Michigan campaign 

This gift is part of Michigan Medicine’s Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to create transformative answers to health care’s biggest challenges for the benefit of people in our state and beyond. Building on 175 years of leadership in medicine and as part of the University of Michigan’s Look to Michigan strategic framework for impact, we are breaking new ground in patient care, research, medical and graduate education, health care facilities, and health advancement and community engagement. Together, we can improve and save lives. For more information, visit michiganmedicine.org/giving/look-to-michigan.