A family will gather at the bedside of a dying mother. They’ll share memories, celebrate her life, and say good-bye.
A middle-aged woman who was blinded by a disease will make her way off the bus with her trusted guide dog.
And middle and high school students will learn to create news stories about communities across the state.
There are a lot of different people who have different stories and different needs. But each of them are the beneficiaries of the generosity and vision of one couple and their love for Hawaii.
Known for his iconic role as the first Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-0, Jack Lord and his wife Marie left their significant assets—including their real estate holdings—to the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF). Their generosity has made it possible for charities such as Hospice Hawaii and St. Francis Healthcare to bring closure to families at a time when they are most in need; the Eye of the Pacific Guide Dogs Foundation to bring technology and trained dogs to those with disabilities; and PBS Hawaii to create HIKI NŌ educational programs.
“Real estate assets make it possible for HCF to bring benefits and opportunity to so many worthy causes across the state and present an attractive estate planning option for families looking to give back,” Kelvin H. Taketa, CEO of HCF, told Honolulu Magazine in “Hawai‘i Five-O Actor’s Legacy Lives on Through His Philanthropy.”
The Lords’ generosity began with just a $50,000 gift to HCF. That later grew to over $40 million in 2006, which was one of the single largest gifts in the U.S. at the time.
Jack and his wife loved Hawaii. They used their resources and their celebrity status to bring attention and much needed money to numerous causes that include the Bishop Museum, the Hawaiian Humane Society, and the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Reference: Honolulu Magazine (May 30, 2016) “Philanthropy: Hawai‘i Five-O Actor’s Legacy Lives on Through His Philanthropy”