Making Her Connection to Mote's Past, Present and Future
All members of Mote Marine Laboratory's Legacy Society have their own history and connections that drew them to the organization and inspired them to support Mote through a planned gift.
Veronica Brady and her husband Jay have many connections: "We like Mote and we like what Mote does and what it stands for, but we also have personal connections that drew us to Mote and inspired us to include the Lab in our estate plans," she says.
Connection One: Love of Exploration and Discovery
It started with Veronica's grandfather, who became chief of National Geographic's news service after serving as a war correspondent during World War II and then a White House correspondent following the war. "My childhood was spent going to his office at National Geographic and exploring," Veronica says. "Later, his youngest son, my uncle, was managing editor of the National Geographic magazine."
Connection Two: Love of the Ocean
"My late father loved to sail and I spent a lot of my early childhood tied to the mast of his sailboat - really! They tied me to the mast so I wouldn't fall in," Veronica remembers.
Connection Three: Fascination and Interest in the Lab's History and Evolution
"My father passed away two days before my birthday 12 years ago. My mom gave me the gift he had planned to give me. It was a first edition of Genie Clark's book, The Lady and the Sharks. When he passed away, we made a legacy gift to Mote in his name."
Connection Four: Thinking of Mote as Part of Your Family
"Jay's brother met his wife while they were both interning at Mote," Veronica says.
"Every member of Mote's Legacy Society has their own connections to Mote—their own reasons for giving, but we all have one thing in common: Our belief in Mote and our desire to support its future. And that makes us all part of the Mote Family. I try to share that Mote message with my friends and family—and know other Legacy Society Members do, too. That way, our 'family reunion' at next year's Legacy Society breakfast will be even bigger."
Join the Family
To learn more about how you can join the Mote Family through an estate gift, contact The Development Office at 941-388-4441, Ext. 309 or plannedgiving@mote.org today.