A legacy of support

Walter Clare made a planned gift to the UK Markey Cancer Foundation in honor of his late wife, Lisa, who had peritoneal cancer and was treated at the UK Markey Cancer Center.

For Walter Clare, making a planned gift to the UK Markey Cancer Foundation was the most meaningful way to honor and support the UK Markey Cancer Center – an organization that extended the amount of time he and his beloved wife, Lisa, had together after she was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer.

A planned gift is a commitment by a philanthropic donor to make a gift in the future – often upon their death – that creates a legacy of support extending beyond their lifetime.

Through tax and legal strategies, planned gifts are included in the donor’s estate and financial plans. This allows donors making planned donations to have a bigger financial impact in the future than they would be able to have in the present, while also providing for their own retirement and protecting the interests of their estate and family.

As such, planned gifts not only have a tremendous impact on the recipient, they do so in a way that maximizes a donor’s support for causes in which they believe.

“Lisa was a warm and caring person who was always looking for an opportunity to serve others,” Clare said. “After her death, I wanted to do something that would honor Lisa, and also hopefully help others in their time of need. Planned giving seemed so appropriate. After my death, my estate would be able to be used to address a variety of needs. It is a way that typical people, like me, can ultimately make a difference.”

Planned gifts like Clare’s are a cornerstone of Markey’s long-term financial stability, giving physicians, researchers, nurses and staff the resources needed to provide high-quality patient care and pursue the latest in cancer research.

“Planned gifts are a crucial part of what keeps Markey’s leading-edge research and patient programs sustainable now and in the future,” said Michael Delzotti, president and CEO of the UK Markey Cancer Foundation, the fundraising organization for the Markey Cancer Center. “There are a wide range of approaches that can be tailored to each donor’s desire and capacity to give.”

Individuals who make a planned donation become part of the UK Markey Cancer Foundation Calumet Society, which recognizes their long-term commitment to supporting Markey and its mission areas of patient care, research, prevention and education.

For more than three decades, Markey has worked tirelessly to fight back against cancer in Kentucky. Recent advances in immunotherapy, genetic testing and therapies, big data, and team science are allowing the experts at Markey to tackle cancer more efficiently and effectively across the full continuum of patient care.

Philanthropy and planned giving have enabled much of the progress that Markey has made and will continue to support that progress in the future, Delzotti said.

“Just as our doctors bring incredible compassion to their science, so too do our donors bring incredible passion to their giving,” he said.

This content was produced by UK HealthCare Brand Strategy.

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