Inspiring Stories

Celebrating your philanthropy

Many of us are familiar with the expression ‘the people make the place’ and nowhere is this truer than at ROM. The Museum would not be a world-class cultural institution without the generous support of so many individuals, families and corporations. Here are just a few stories of ROM volunteers and donors who have gone above and beyond.     

 

Josephine Mary Breyfogle devoted over 35 years of service to ROM. By naming the Museum as a residual beneficiary in her estate plan, she ensured her legacy will last even longer.

Rob Pierce

An advocate of cultural philanthropy, Rob Pierce believes that institutions like ROM are critical parts of a flourishing cultural and economic ecosystem. Through almost 25 years of dedicated service and generous gifts to the Museum, including a bequest in his will, Rob is bolstering ROM’s impact on Toronto and Canada at large.

Thomas Charles Messecar Logan

As an elementary school teacher, Thomas Charles Messecar Logan was an inspiration to his students. And thanks to a generous gift to ROM in his estate, he will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of the next generation of museumgoers.

Flavia Redelmeier

A self-proclaimed “museum person,” Flavia Redelmeier has been a steadfast supporter of ROM for eight incredible decades. Her passion for textiles, dedicated service and generous gifts leave a remarkable legacy. 

A flair for fashion has inspired Joseph Wong in many ways throughout his life, including supporting design research and collections at ROM through gift-in-kind donations, as well as expendable funds during his lifetime and endowed funds in his estate. 

The late Danuta Buczynski was a passionate and long-time supporter of arts and culture – including the Royal Ontario Museum. A meaningful bequest in her estate ensures that her passion will live on at the Museum for many years to come.

The late Marnie Hunt had a lifelong passion for the arts. By including ROM in her will, she ensured that future generations of museumgoers will have the opportunity to share her appreciation.

Catalytic donation from Jay and Barbara Hennick marks the single largest cash gift in ROM history.

For Michelle Yuen Man Lee, there were many compelling reasons to make a gift of life insurance to ROM, such as supporting critical initiatives and providing significant tax benefits. But most importantly, it was a meaningful way to honour her late husband, Nelson, and has made her visits to the Museum even more special today.

Clint Tham loves making watches and his son, Dax, loves dinosaurs. Now the duo are combining their interests to create-of-a-kind dino-themed watches to be sold auctioned off in support of another favourite of theirs – ROM.