Planned Giving
HOUSING PAST
MEMORIES
AND FUTURE
CURES
AS THE SAYING GOES, ‘Home is where the
heart is.’ The sentiment resonates with Sharron
Tune as she recalls her fondest memories of
her late husband, Cliff. “We spent 47 wonderful
years together in San Francisco, and he loved it
so much.”
Cliff was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
(PD) in 2009 at age 60. Despite the bad falls
he experienced as his disease progressed, his
spirit never broke. He discovered a new passion
for music, taking singing and piano lessons and
eventually earning the moniker “Karaoke Kliff ” at
a local sing-along establishment.
Wanting to help speed new Parkinson’s therapies,
Cliff and Sharron connected with The Michael J.
Fox Foundation (MJFF). They galvanized their
local networks, expanding their contribution
through peer-to-peer fundraising, and they
supported MJFF events including the annual gala.
When Cliff passed in 2015, Sharron wanted to
make a gift that would have a meaningful impact
on her life and the lives of people living with
Parkinson’s disease. She arranged for her house
to be sold in her will, with proceeds going to
MJFF. “We didn’t have children and I don’t have
relatives who live close to me. And Cliff loved
the house so much. It seemed fitting to give
it to someone who could get something done
for others.” Planned gifts such as these enable
donors to invest in future generations of PD
research and care without affecting their finances
during their lifetime.
“We want to be part of the solution, supporting
the researchers and clinicians who work
tirelessly every day to better understand PD and
how to treat it,” says Sharron. “If anyone can
find a cure for this disease, The Michael J. Fox
Foundation can.”
For more information on planned giving, please
visit: plannedgiving.michaeljfox.org.
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Members of the Legacy Circle at The Michael J.
Fox Foundation lay crucial groundwork for vital
research today and in the years ahead. Planned
gifts are instrumental in helping uncover the
secrets of Parkinson’s disease — from defining
the highly variable patient experience to
shedding light on the genetic origins of disease.
Discoveries enabled in part by Legacy Circle
giving are now paying off at a rapid pace
through the most robust Parkinson’s drug
development pipeline in the history of the
disease. While MJFF’s mission has always
been to put itself out of business by curing
PD, planned gifts provide a major, long-term
funding source that we can both plan around,
and leverage immediately, to accelerate high-
impact research. Planned giving can help you
support MJFF’s mission at a level you may not
have thought possible while creating financial
benefits for yourself and your loved ones.
We invite you to support our vision of a world
without Parkinson’s disease as a member of our
Legacy Circle.
If you have included The Michael J. Fox
Foundation in your estate plans but have not yet
notified us, we would like to hear from you. Please
email Shirley Nagar at [email protected] .
17
Fall/Winter 2018