Benefactor Stories | Mayo Clinic

Dutch and Betsy Kurtz
Lobster and champagne. That's how Alfred R. "Dutch" and Elizabeth J. "Betsy" Kurtz celebrated her 99th birthday and their 67th wedding anniversary, which fall on the same June day.

Investing in the Future

Gordon Gunnerson
Gordon hated what his parents had to go through at the end of their lives. First his father fought heart disease, then developed dementia. The illness became so bad that Gordon's father eventually reverted back to childhood.

Benefactor Becomes Pet Therapy Volunteer

Sandy Pobanz
Benji has a nose for trouble. A big, black nose. And when he finds trouble, he happily lends a helping paw. Benji is a pet therapy dog on the Scottsdale, Arizona, campus of Mayo Clinic. His partner in caring is long-time Mayo Clinic friend and benefactor Sandy Pobanz.

Cultivating Hope

Barbara Woodward Lips
The gratitude of a patient who depended on Mayo Clinic for more than 40 years was expressed through one of the largest gifts ever received by Mayo Clinic. Barbara Woodward Lips left a bequest to Mayo Clinic of $127.9 million.

Helping Mayo to 'Keep Doing What it Does'

Jim and Linda Taggart
After surviving two cancers, a liver transplant, heart surgery and stomach aneurysm, Jim Taggart felt good. He credited Mayo Clinic and his wife, Linda, for both enriching and extending his life.

Wise Choices for Today and Tomorrow

Murray and Valerie Wise
The Wises of Naples, Florida, are Mayo Clinic patients and benefactors who have named Mayo in their will. They have developed a plan that funds their philanthropic priorities today and will continue to do so long after the Wises pass on.