Actor Danny DeVito donated $500,000 to the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation to help advance health care at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

To honor DeVito for his generosity, hospital staff first presented him with a copy of his birth certificate and photos of what Jersey Shore looked like back in the 1940s when he was born. The hospital was then known as Fitkin Hospital.

“I know how much work I put in in what I do, and I know what kind of work they put into what they do. They really are there 24/7 trying to surround you with all the care and love that you can get,” DeVito said.

He grew up in Asbury Park and most recently reacquainted himself with the Garden State brand by becoming a spokesperson for Jersey Mike's Subs.

DeVito says he still has family in the area and is proud to come back and make a difference in the community he called home for so many years.

Bob Garrett, the CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, says DeVito’s donation is really important as the hospital sees “tremendous growth.”

“This is the fastest growing hospital in our network. So many people out of COVID have relocated to Monmouth County, to Ocean County,” Garrett says.

DeVito’s donation will fund the ever-expanding medical center, specifically in cancer treatments, bone marrow transplants, the children's center, cardiac unit, and the doctors and nurses on staff.