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Emery family

Jaynn and Walter Emery

Summer is generally a slower time on campus.

You can imagine the energy shift when two alumni, Vicki Emery ’66 and her brother, Roe Emery ’63, on behalf of their sister, Sloan Emery ’69 Schwindt, stopped by to drop off a check to Graland from their parents’ charitable remainder trust. A charitable remainder trust is a tax-exempt irrevocable trust designed to reduce the taxable income of individuals by first dispersing income to the beneficiaries of the trust for a specified period of time and then donating the remainder of the trust to the designated charity.

Their parents, Jaynn and Walter Emery, made sure to structure their estate plans in such a way as to leave a gift for their heirs as well as for organizations that were important to them. Enclosed with the gift was a letter from the three Emery siblings:

“It is our pleasure to give this money to Graland in our parents’ names. Graland holds a unique place in our family’s history. My sisters and I graduated from Graland. We agree that our Graland education could never be surpassed or replaced…certainly some of the best years of our lives!”

This year, a third generation of the Emery family has begun her journey at Graland in kindergarten.

The gift was given to the school for the best use. In speaking with Vicki and Roe, Kristin Eklund '88 Weber, associate director of development for major gifts and planned giving, shared a bit about a new initiative that the school leadership is working on to make sure that Graland is able to pay our teachers at a fair and competitive rate and in a way that aligns with our school values. They were thrilled to have their parents’ gift be one of the early gifts toward this endowed fund. Due to their parents’ thoughtful planning, their gift will support Graland’s teachers—both today and into the future.

"The entire Emery family shares in the excitement of being part of the future changes and development of Graland,” the letter states.

To learn more about the many ways you can make an impact at Graland, contact Jessica Goski at jgoski@graland.org or 303-336-3705.