Four nonprofits received a boon Tuesday in the form of sizable donations from the trust of the late Lucy Harrell, including $1 million to the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation.
Harrell’s trust also donated $100,000 to the Haines Sheldon Museum, $200,000 to Haines Assisted Living and $25,000 to the American Bald Eagle Foundation.
Harrell died in September and during her years in Haines donated millions of dollars to local organizations.
“In Lucy’s lifetime, I don’t know how much money she’s given away,” Haines Assisted Living board member and trustee Jim Studley said. “In the last fifteen years, she’s given away about 12 million dollars to various nonprofits within the community.”
CVCF board president Liz Heywood found out Monday about the $1 million donation.
“I’ve been in town here for 26 years and Lucy has been one of the models of philanthropy for all of us living in the valley,” Heywood said. “She’s made such a difference to so many organizations. She was a truly remarkable person. Her legacy is going to live on in town in perpetuity with the gift she’s given.”
Alaska Bald Eagle Foundation executive director Cheryl McRoberts said the foundation has been grateful for Harrell’s support throughout the years.
“We were fortunate to have Lucy attend one of our Alaska Bald Eagle Festival’s eagle release in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve,” McRoberts said. “We were having an auction to the highest bidder for the honor to release the eagle and things were moving slow in the bidding process. Suddenly we heard Lucy yell ‘$500 and whoever wants to match my bid can release the other eagle!’ Lucy will be missed by so many, but will never be forgotten.”
HAL board president Dick Flegel said Harrell’s generosity continues to be jaw dropping. “I continue to be amazed by that lady and her generosity,” Flegel said. “I don’t think we’ve seen a person in this community as generous to the common good as Lucy Harrell.”
Museum board president Kelleen Adams said Harrell wanted the $100,000 donation will go into the museum’s endowment fund, the interest of which is used to purchase items for the collection. “She was a very gracious wonderful, wonderful person,” Adams said. “She really wanted to see the museums stay strong and continue its efforts and its mission.”
Studley delivered checks to the four organizations on Tuesday.
Harrell founded Haines Assisted living and donated roughly 80% of the funding to develop that building, along with the Soboleff McRae Veterans Village and Wellness Center, Studley said.
“That money plus what she’s donating now is her legacy to Haines,” Studley said. “She was the founder of HAL. I was privileged to be able to participate in that. She’s given money to the radio station, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Salvation Army and countless other organizations.”
Harrell told an interviewer in 2015 that her wealth “wasn’t brilliance on my part but the economic conditions of my time. I got lucky, basically,” according to her obituary in the CVN.
Harrell was known for her practicality and sense of humor. Flegel said he’ll never forget when Harrell told him she thought Haines needed an assisted living center.
“She said, ‘When we get older, people tend to lose their marbles. When I lose mine, I want to be here in Haines.’”