Donor Profiles
Legacy Society Ensures Future Gifts
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| Linda Vopicka, left, shows off her husband Ronald’s refurbished dream car to Elaine Taylor from advancement. |
When Linda Vopicka’s husband, Ronald ’68, passed away in 2001, she decided on two ways to honor his memory. To celebrate his sense of whimsy and love of sports cars, she refurbished his dream car, a 1967 Porsche 911 that had sat in their garage for 23 years waiting for the perfect time to be rebuilt. She gave the car to her son when it was finished.
“But it’s still here at my house (in West Florida),” she said. “My son, Charlie, lives in Montana and ‘Porschie’ doesn’t like the cold.”
And the other way of honoring Ronald and preserving his legacy as a Florida Tech alumnus, was to make a pledge in her will to the university that he loved. Her gift to the Legacy Society will help future generations of students to achieve their academic goals as Ronald did.
“I did this because the university meant so much to him and I think his years there were a pivotal time in his life. This was a way to remember him and honor him,” she said.
Linda is not alone in her gift to the Legacy Society. Founded in 2004, the society has grown to more than a dozen members who have pledged over $8 million to Florida Tech. Thomas G. Fox, senior vice president for advancement, said the actual number of alumni and friends who have remembered Florida Tech in their wills may be much higher.
“We know that the national average for alumni who give to their alma mater via a will bequest is 14 percent,” said Fox. “Remarkably, 80 percent of those who leave a gift to their university don’t tell
the institution.”
One legacy member, Ruth Funk, determined that her planned bequest to the university might be better sooner than later. In 2006, she announced a $1.25 million gift to the university for a textiles museum, which will soon become a reality.
If you plan to leave a gift to your alma mater and wish to be noted as a member of the Legacy Society, please contact Beverly Sanders at sanders@fit.edu or call
(321) 674-6155. |
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