The Huntsman Cancer Hospital got a $2 million shot in the arm Wednesday night during a surprise birthday/anniversary party honoring the hospital's namesake and numerous donors who have contributed additional funding in recent months.

Scores of community and religious leaders, hospital officials, donors and Huntsman family members gathered at The Pointe restaurant atop the Huntsman Cancer Institute to laud Jon and Karen Huntsman for their efforts to fight cancer.

The event marked the adjoining hospital's second anniversary celebration and was planned as a gift to the Huntsmans with the announcement that all the patient rooms at the hospital have been named within the past five months. Donors included individuals, foundations and corporations, giving from $30,000 to $10 million each.

Huntsman Cancer Foundation President Janet Bingham said the foundation had been quietly working since January to raise additional funding through an effort to name each of the hospital's 48 patient rooms. Before the effort began, only two of the rooms had been named for donors.

The event surprised Huntsman, who said he had been told he would be attending a family barbecue. Thanking those in attendance for supporting his quest to fight cancer, he said someday he'd like to turn the hospital into a "Ritz Carlton Hotel" once the cure for cancer has been found and the disease eradicated.

Several donors and friends flew to Salt Lake City for the event, and Huntsman called former Ute basketball coach Rick Majerus and Arizona philanthropist Ira Fulton to the dais during his remarks, thanking them for their support.

Fulton took the microphone to announce a new $2 million donation for the hospital, handing the check to Huntsman with a smile. "What do you get a guy who has done so much for everyone as a birthday present?" he said. "It's an honor and a privilege to support you and Karen in what you are doing."

Fulton and Larry H. Miller each donated $10 million to the hospital when it opened in 2004, and Huntsman recalled asking Fulton for some help years ago.

"He said he'd be glad to give a million, and I told him I had $10 million in mind. He was very gracious and agreed to contribute," Huntsman remembered.

He also thanked Majerus for his support in the past, asking what he'd been doing the night before flying to Salt Lake City. "I was in a bar," Majerus deadpanned, earning a laugh from the crowd and an aside from Huntsman aimed at LDS general authorities in attendance. "President Packer has said, 'never ask questions.' "