Friendship’s ripple effect: sparking a spirit of giving

“My good friend’s daughter was born with a heart myopathy and was rushed to Children’s Hospital as a little girl. Her prognosis didn’t look good, but the Children’s providers saved her life. She’s now in her thirties, a physical therapist, married and doing great. My friend always praised Children’s.”

Inspired by their friend, when Carolyn and Bill Muir started thinking about their charitable giving, they named Children’s as a beneficiary of their will.

Another dear friend, Ruth Gresham, also sparked their giving spirit. Carolyn met Ruth when she was in her eighties and Carolyn worked for Ruth’s financial advisor. Carolyn helped her set up a charitable gift annuity for Children’s.

“Ruth was a teacher in the Appleton school system and a philanthropist who encouraged people to give back. When I met Ruth, she was traveling the world, all the way to Indonesia to see the elephants! She was an inspirational woman.”

Carolyn retired in 2017 and they stayed in touch until Ruth passed away last year at the age of 106.

The Muirs have been married for 22 years—the second marriage for both. They live in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. They are both retired and fully enjoy their time together and a simple life. “Gardening is my passion. I love planting, digging in the dirt, looking at little critters.” With Bill doing the heavy lifting, Carolyn has created a lovely flower garden.

“There’s nothing extra special about us. When we started to think about giving, we chose three different charities and are giving a big portion of our estate to Children’s,” said Carolyn. “We can’t take our money with us,” added Bill.

The Muirs may see themselves as two ordinary people—but kids and families across Wisconsin will profoundly benefit from their legacy for generations to come.

You can join the Muirs in supporting Children’s Wisconsin with a gift through your estate that will benefit future generations. Contact Kelly Sachse at (414) 266-6121 or ksachse@childrenswi.org .