A Fresno man’s estate donated millions to Valley Children’s. Here’s how it’s being used
The estate of a Fresno man has donated $4 million to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, which will recognize the gift in its new outpatient center that’s planned for construction.
The contribution comes from the estate of Donald Emil Gumz, an Edison High School alumnus whose family farmed grapes in Fresno County near Biola going back to the early 1900s, according to a news release. He died Sept. 17, 2018.
Gumz was a “true son of the San Joaquin Valley,” according to David Zoldoske, a cousin to Gumz and trustee of his estate.
“His estate will fund programs that help children, students, women, the homeless and our senior citizens,” he said in the release. “Mr. Gumz left a significant contribution to Valley Children’s knowing that improving the health of the young will positively benefit the Central Valley for generations to come.”
Gumz spent his entire professional life as an accountant, first for a local developer and then with Vie-Del Company winery until he retired in 1991, the release said.
The donation will have a significant reach in expanding outpatient services, according to Todd Suntrapak, president and CEO of Valley Children’s.
“Mr. Gumz’s generosity was driven, in part, by his commitment to making a difference in the lives of children for generations to come — children he would likely not know or would not see,” Suntrapak said.
“But he believed deeply in the idea that investing in our future generations would be essential for the future of this Valley that he loved and called home.”
The new donation isn’t the first from Gumz, whose estate has provided financial support to the Ronald McDonald House, Marjaree Mason Center, Fresno Art Museum and Fresno State’s Enology Department.
Gumz’s philanthropy should be lauded, according to Dan Adams, head of the Valley Children’s foundation board of directors.
“Mr. Gumz’s kindness and foresight to devise an estate plan that translated his life’s work into direct impact on not only Valley Children’s but also other Central Valley charities is a remarkable story that must be shared as an example to us all,” he said.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
