More than 60 years ago, we did a bold thing. We enrolled at Wake Forest College knowing that we would start on one campus and graduate on another. We knew we would spend that wonderful first year of college in Wake Forest, probably get attached to the place and then have to pack up and head 100 miles east to Winston-Salem.
The decision was a matter of trust. We figured the College would get it right. And our faith was ultimately well founded.
This is why planned giving made sense to us. It, too, is a matter of trust. Implicit in such philanthropy is the belief that the organization - Wake Forest University in this case - will be a responsible steward of the gift and that it will continue to uphold the values that inspired the commitment.
We trust because we stuck with Wake Forest in the time of massive change. We could see the future would be bright. It was wonderful to be a part of this experience. In the years after our graduation, we have seen the merits of a once-debated decision from up close.
Living here in Winston-Salem has given us the opportunity to observe closely the tremendous academic growth of our alma mater. We are impressed with our University and its progress. As residents of Winston-Salem, we have benefited from all of this. And we are proud to be a part of it.
These years have further strengthened our ties to a place that changed the course of our lives. We met in our sophomore year at Wake Forest, and we were married the year we graduated. Sixty years ago. That says it all. If not for Wake Forest, we might have ended up as Tar Heels.
