Dear Friend of the Weizmann Institute,
Like you, I am a strong supporter of Israel and the American
Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. Perhaps I have a
special appreciation of the need for Weizmann’s medical research because
my grandson was diagnosed with cancer at age four. He is one of the
lucky ones who survived, and is now a strapping 21-year-old. But going
through this experience with my grandson is something I will never
forget.
So, when the American Committee’s Executive Vice President asked me a
few years ago to help Weizmann create a Center for Childhood Cancer
and Immunological Diseases, I wholeheartedly agreed. The question was
how I could best structure my gift.
Luckily, just as Weizmann is pioneering ways to personalize
treatments for cancer and other diseases, they are experts at
personalizing philanthropy to fit a donor’s goals and circumstances.
I was able to reach my goal through a combination of gift
arrangements. I am making current gifts to initiate research efforts. I
have established several charitable gift annuities from which I receive
a secure high return for life, after which the Center will receive the
principal. And I will be providing the remaining funding necessary to
endow the Center through a bequest in my will.
The bequest I am planning for the Center’s endowment
represents money I do not have to part with at all during my lifetime.
By making part of my gift in the form of a bequest, I was able to do
much more for Weizmann than would otherwise have been possible.
I am writing to you in the hope that you will also consider a legacy
gift to enhance your support of Weizmann. The significant increase in
the federal estate tax exemption that took place in January makes this a
very important time for everybody to review their estate plans. By
including Weizmann in your plans, you will help to advance scientific
discovery for years to come, benefiting Israel and all humanity.
My interest in Weizmann actually began long before my grandson’s
diagnosis. My family comes from Montreal, where my uncle, Maxwell, who
is now almost 103 years old, got involved with the Institute in the
early 1960s. My mom and I visited Weizmann with Maxwell. Later, his son
became a professor of Computer Science at Weizmann.
But my personal involvement with the greater Weizmann family began
when my career as a builder brought me to Chicago. A business associate
invited me to the annual dinner. This "relit" my interest in Weizmann,
and I now serve on the national Board of the American Committee and the
Board of Governors of the Institute.
It has been a great privilege to meet the brilliant, motivated, and
dedicated scientists who are devoting heart and soul to their efforts to
build a better world. But I have learned from them that it takes
years—even decades—to achieve a meaningful scientific breakthrough.
For example, Weizmann’s Prof. Michal Schwartz has worked for over a
decade to revolutionize the way scientists approach neurological
disorders and age-related cognitive loss. She has demonstrated that
immune cells, previously thought to be dangerous to the brain, can
promote the healing of damaged neurons and are key players in the
body’s ability to form new nerve cells and maintain cognitive ability.
Her research is now leading to the development of vaccines for spinal
cord traumas, glaucoma, strokes, and neurological diseases such as
Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s.
Legacy commitments give scientists the inspiration and
wherewithal to pursue their work, knowing that they will be able to go
the distance, and turn their visions into realities.
I am also encouraged by the research now being done at the Kirk
Center. One project explores the role of the MLL gene in childhood acute
leukemia. Research in this area is critical, because patients
diagnosed with leukemia from birth to one year now have only a 20–25%
survival rate. Another project focusing on juvenile (type one) diabetes
could improve the outcome of beta cell transplantation, eliminating
the need for insulin.
It gives me great satisfaction to know that my legacy gift to the
Weizmann Institute of Science will perpetuate funding of promising
projects like these for years to come. This will provide hope to
children, like my grandson, who face serious medical challenges early in
life. If you are interested in supporting the work of the Kirk Center,
your gift would be most welcome.
Every day at Weizmann, approximately one thousand research projects
are being conducted to answer some of the most pressing medical,
agricultural, environmental, and technological questions facing all of
humanity. These projects all need long-term support, and your legacy
will ensure that Weizmann research will flourish far into the future.
For further information, please contact your regional director or
call Steven L. Meyers, V.P. of Planned Giving, at 1-800-242-2947
(e-mail: pg@ACWIS.org).
Sincerely yours,
Donald L. Kirk
P.S. Scientists consider Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science one
of the best places in the world to do research. I can tell you from my
experience establishing the Kirk Center, that it is also one of the best
places to do philanthropy. The American Committee’s sophisticated
planned giving staff can help you establish a legacy gift that is right
for you. All gifts, large or small, are greatly appreciated.