Help us raise the remaining matching funds for the Fleming Challenge
Steve and Irene at Castle Howard, which was the topic of a
2014 Drue Heinz lecture. The couple’s gift will help ensure
Royal Oak lectures continue to bring Britain’s history
and beauty to American audiences.
The Royal Oak Foundation is very pleased to announce that Steve Casey and Irene Grigoriadis of Rancho Santa Fe, CA have pledged $250,000 in response to the Fleming Challenge to endow the Foundation’s Drue Heinz Lectures. The Fleming Challenge funds will match 50% of their pledge, providing another $125,000.
Steve and Irene’s frequent visits to various protected properties and participation in the lecture seriescemented their desire to help sustain the work of both The Royal Oak Foundation and the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Irene says: “My husband and I are honored to make a pledge in support of the important and marvelous work that Royal Oak and the National Trust do. Truly, they exemplify Winston Churchill’s great words, ‘The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.’ A key component of this work is, of course, a commitment to the continuing success of Royal Oak’s educational mission for the benefit of today’s and future generations. We hope our participation acts as a catalyst to others thus ensuring many, many more years of enlightening people and rescuing worthwhile places and things.”
The Fleming Challenge seeks to raise $1,500,000 as an endowment for the Foundation’s Drue Heinz Lectures. Longtime Royal Oak supporter and former Board member Ronald Lee Fleming will match all contributions OR pledges of any kind on a one-to-two ratio, up to $500,000, through June 15. That means for every $1,000 you donate or pledge, Mr. Fleming will match $500 towards the endowment, up to a total of $500,000. The resulting $1.5 million endowment will provide approximately $75,000/year in income to support the lecture series.
We have now raised $400,000 of the matching funds. Please join Steve and Irene in helping us reach our goal of $1,000,000 by making a gift or pledge today.
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please visit our Fleming Challenge page or contact Executive Director David Nathans at dnathans@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 ext. 202.
