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A Gift to Help People Forever
Norman and Frances Kerr can happily recount their family ties to Geisinger, dating back to its founding in 1915. “My parents got their medical care at Geisinger, and their parents before them,” Frances says.
Together, their ties to Geisinger span six generations, down to their great-grandchildren today. “Geisinger is just a great hospital for people of all ages,” Norman says.
Frances’ mother worked as a nurse at Geisinger after graduating from its nursing school in 1926. Frances was born at Geisinger. A generation later, she worked at a Geisinger office for seven years.
Now retired in Riverside, the Kerrs have established a charitable remainder unitrust that will benefit other Geisinger patients forever. The unitrust will provide income to the Kerrs for the rest of their lives as well as a tax benefit.
Eventually, the principle will be transferred to Geisinger’s endowment to help fund several medical specialties. “We wanted to support all the departments that have treated us and our friends over the years,” Norman says.
The Kerrs have been longtime supporters of Geisinger, making gifts to the Children’s Miracle Network and “any special need,” Norman says.
His former employer, Merck Pharmaceuticals, has matched their cash gifts. “The people of this region are very fortunate,” Norman says. “It is very unusual to have a great medical center in a rural area. We have the quality of medical care most people can only get in big cities, but we can still enjoy the quiet life. The doctors and nurses at Geisinger are part of our community – we see them in church and socially.” The Kerrs enjoy gardening and attending theatrical productions. They travel each summer to theater festivals in Canada. Norman still goes hunting, although his “good friend” Taja, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, has grown too old to chase birds. They also adopted Maggie, a Husky-Beagle mix (“Too heavy to be a lap dog,” Frances says) and Tika, a Chihuahua (“Eight pounds – just right.”). The Kerrs give back generously to their community and several healthcare charities. But they want to leave a legacy through Geisinger. “There are so many worthy causes,” Norman says. “We wanted to do something that would help the most people far into the future. Geisinger helps a broad range of people in our region, including the needy. Our unitrust will help people as Geisinger has helped us.” Click here to make a gift online Geisinger Health System Foundation - Charitable organizations that solicit contributions are required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide the following statement: "A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement." |
