First on the Itinerary: Helping Kids

Conscientious planning. These two words fittingly describe both Bruce and Karen Polzin. When Bruce and Karen first experienced Children’s Wisconsin, it was apparent to them that Children's takes conscientious planning to heart.

As the Polzins took their first tour of the hospital, they were impressed with the diligent attention to detail proactively taken when designing patient rooms. The breadth of care available and the intense focus on making a family comfortable in challenging times left quite a mark on the couple. They were so impressed with the hospital's strategic thought process that they decided to make a strategic move of their own—naming Children’s Wisconsin as a substantial beneficiary of their estate.

Wisconsin natives with a passion for world travel, the Polzins have traversed the globe. As they packed and unpacked their suitcases, embarking on exciting adventures, occasionally worst-case scenarios would pop into their thoughts. Traveling together, if something were to happen to both of them, with no children to automatically inherit assets, they wanted to be sure their wishes were written down and could be carried out according to plan.

The Polzins began their estate planning process to ensure they had peace of mind while traveling. According to Karen, "Nothing's impossible, really, if you plan ahead. There's power in proactivity." When planning for the future, the next generation naturally came to mind. As the place where sick kids in Wisconsin heal best, Children’s Wisconsin caught their attention.

"We wanted to be a part of it, helping out where we can. Knowing our gifts would help children, who are truly our future, was important to us," said Karen.

Inspired by their fathers, who battled heart issues and leukemia, it is fitting that the Polzins have designated a portion of their estate to benefit the heart and cancer programs at Children’s Wisconsin. Equally fitting, as Karen has dealt with back problems from a young age, a portion of their gift will support orthopedic care at Children’s Wisconsin.

While traveling is a passion for Bruce and Karen, Wisconsin remains home. Inspired by the home away from home that Children’s Wisconsin becomes for patients, they are proud to share in our vision of Wisconsin's kids being the healthiest in the nation. Their thoughtful foresight and philanthropic planning will indeed help us achieve this vision in the future.