YOUR LEGACY ON THE BIG SCREEN

The other night, I was watching an old duster with my husband, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a 1962 Western with Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles. Throughout the movie, my husband would share the background of each actor. “Did you know Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne were also in How the

West Was Won?” His anecdotes got me to thinking about the legacy actors leave behind, the fact that their lives are enshrined on the big screen, and generations to come will enjoy their talent.

For those of us who are not on the big screen, what will our legacy look like? We make our own footprint as we live our lives. The people we encounter, the work we do, the impact we have and the memories we create. We each have our own stories and the causes we support are sometimes reflective of our story.

Most recently, I was speaking with a legacy donor to Broadmead Care. I wanted to tell his story of why he and his wife decided to leave a gift in their will to the Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead. While neither of them wanted their name published, they did want to convey that their decision was reflective of their family history. He had served in the military, as had his father and his grandfather before him.

He shared how life is a precious thing, and those living in residential care are sometimes forgotten. It is important for us, as a community, to remember and to thank them for the freedoms we have today. For this legacy donor and his wife, whose gift will impact resident activities for generations to come, their goal is to ensure Broadmead Care has the resources available to provide engaging programs so that residents may enjoy life to their fullest potential.

You, too, can be the catalyst for something amazing in another person’s life. A gift through your will is easy. Once you’ve looked after your loved ones, consider leaving a portion of your residual estate to your favourite charity. Your bequest will be a grand gesture of kindness and will have a tremendous impact. And like Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, your legacy will live on.

For those who are connected to Broadmead Care or have an affinity to Veterans or adults with disabilities, your legacy gift will help us deliver programs to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.