The Legacy of Care Society

When the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation first conceived the idea of creating the Legacy of Care Society, it was with people such as John Walker in mind. The dedicated community member and hospital donor is exactly the type of person the Society was created to honour.

Mr. Walker has a strong personal connection to the Rouge Valley Health System, and he is very willing to share his story and the experience that has made him such a solid supporter.

“There is no way that I could ever forget being rushed to Rouge Valley emergency that night after having a heart attack.” Says Mr. Walker. “It was one of the scariest experiences of my life. Even with my wife, Lorraine, at my side, calmly explaining everything that was going on, using her 50 years of experience as a nurse to comfort me, it was hard to be brave. But the amazing doctors and nurses at Rouge Valley saved my life.”

The incident happened many years ago, before the new cardiac programs came along, that offer an even higher level of care for patients today. But even back then, the team at Rouge Valley got everything under control quickly and analyzed Mr. Walker’s condition and took the actions necessary to help him.

Not long after, reflecting on what might have been if not for the hospital, the Walkers came to a decision.

“Without having Rouge Valley so close to my home, I am convinced I would not have survived my heart attack,” he explains. “It was after that experience that Lorraine and I decided to name Rouge Valley in our will. Some people may think it sounds a little old-fashioned, but I just felt that they literally saved me and I wanted to recognize that in a meaningful way.”

To explain it more precisely, the Legacy of Care Society was created to honour donors of deferred gifts - that is bequests, gifts of life insurance and charitable gift annuities. Too often in the past the RVHS Foundation has not been aware that a donor has made a deferred gift until it hears from the estate and it is too late to thank the donor in person. John Walker is among the Society’s inaugural members.

“Through the Society, the foundation hopes to connect with, and suitably recognize and thank, these remarkable donors during their lifetimes,” says Carole Chabot, Vice-President of Development for the Foundation. “This is so important because these legacy gifts will contribute to the well-being of thousands of people who will be depending on Rouge Valley Health System's two hospitals for their care in the future.”

Planned Giving committee chair Frank Ortencio heads up a team of volunteers who meet regularly throughout the year to manage efforts to promote and encourage planned gifts for Rouge Valley. He points out that no matter what reason motivates a donor to support the hospital with a legacy gift, that commitment deserves recognition.

“Having the ability to recognize and trumpet such generosity is important not only because we appreciate the members of our Legacy of Care Society. It is also an opportunity to inspire others to follow suit,” he says.

For the Walkers, the knowledge that their bequest is flexible enough to support whatever the hospital’s highest priorities are at the time, is reassuring.

“We set it up so that our bequest can be put toward whatever the hospital might need, whether it’s new equipment, a brand-new piece of technology, or it can even be used toward a renovation or education fund,” Mr. Walker explains. “After all, who can predict what the future might bring for our growing community!”

Mr. Walker also explained that once he decided to leave a bequest to Rouge Valley in his will, making the arrangements was straightforward.

“We simply talked to our lawyer about it when we updated our will, so it really didn’t take any extra time or money to do,” he says. “We even discovered that there are certain tax benefits to making a gift this way. I am happy that I get to decide how my money is spent, rather than the government.”

If you or someone you know is looking for guidance in making a planned gift, or if you have any questions about remembering Rouge Valley in your will, or creating an endowment fund, please feel free to contact Carole Chabot at 416-281-7462 or via email at cchabot@rougevalley.ca. And be sure to visit our website, www.rougevalley.ca/RVHSF.