“I had a large number of shares of stock that I purchased over almost 30 years of employment — to cash them in would have meant significant capital gains tax,” he said. “By making a gift to the American Heart Association, I got an immediate charitable deduction for part of the gift, a huge reduction in capital gains tax, and a lifetime income stream — some of which is tax free for the next 20 years. Since I had already included the American Heart Association in my will, I thought, ‘How can I go wrong with this?'”
Pete chose the American Heart Association because of an extensive family history with heart disease and stroke. His dad died from a heart attack at age 51 when Pete was just 12 years old. Genetics clearly played a role, as his father's brother died two months later — again, from a heart attack. A third family member, a sister, suffered a stroke and died, so Pete knows that he and his brothers are at risk for both heart disease and stroke. Pete hopes that continued research and better treatments will keep more kids from losing their parents and other loved ones.
“I try to watch my diet, exercise and I don't smoke, but I know that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death — and with my family history, I'm certainly at risk. That's why I'm happy to make this gift, so that education and research programs from the American Heart Association may benefit others.”
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