Planned Giving Month: Melva Murphy Luker Endowment

May is Planned Giving Month. A planned or legacy gift, such as a bequest in your will, a gift of life insurance, or other long-term financial arrangement ensures that you’ll continue supporting the causes close to you and your loved ones well into the future. 

In celebration of this month, we would like to highlight Jana Luker, who recently established the Melva Murphy Luker Endowment Fund in support of YMCA Camp Kitchikewana. Jana created this lasting legacy in memory of her mother and shared her family’s heartfelt reasons for giving back to the YMCA. Her gift is a powerful example of how planned giving can honour loved ones while making a meaningful impact for generations to come. 

Jana’s mother, Melva Murphy, grew up in Midland and the YMCA played an active role in her life. She and her sister sold strawberries in order to raise funds necessary to attend YMCA Camp Kitchikewana; she quickly fell in love with the camp and stayed involved with it for most of her life. As a teenager, she began as a counsellor, later took charge of the waterfront, and even after completing her nursing education, she returned to camp year after year to serve as the camp nurse. 

Jana had the idea to start an endowment fund after attending an alumni event at YMCA Camp Kitchikewana shortly after her mother’s passing. “The camp was such a big part of her life and meant so much to her; the Y as a whole meant so much to her, and what better way to honour my mother’s legacy than with an opportunity to benefit Camp Kitchi.”  

“I’ve heard so much about the effect my mother had on people,” said Jana. “Little boys who are now elderly men have come up to me telling me they were in love with my mother when they were campers. When my mom was older, I was taking her to the Y, and a lady who recognized my mother from her camp days decades ago came up and talked with us. My mother had an influence beyond anything I had previously known based on all the stories I’ve now heard, and all the people who knew her in Midland and at camp. She had a significant effect on the community and individuals, and it was through the Y that these connections were made where people still remembered her 60 years later.”  

The connections that the Y creates are among the organization’s biggest standouts for Jana.  “It’s about being part of a larger community. I’ve only lived here in Midland for 8 years; when I first came here, I didn’t know anybody, so I went to the local Y and almost all the friends I’ve made in Midland have come from there. When I think of the YMCA the first thing that comes to mind is the community; it goes beyond just the fitness aspect.”  

“My reason for starting this endowment was a way to give back to the Y for all the work it does and to honour my mother.”   

The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka extends its deepest gratitude to Jana Luker and the Luker family for honouring Melva’s legacy in a way that allows others to experience the same magic of YMCA Camp Kitchikewana that Melva cherished years ago. We also pay tribute to Melva for her lifetime of contributions to our YMCA.

The Melva Murphy Luker Endowment Fund significantly enhances our ability to reach more individuals in need of support, offering them opportunities for physical activity, personal growth, and a strong sense of belonging and community. 

Thank you, Jana and the Luker family, for your inspiring generosity! 

To donate to the Melva Murphy Luker Endowment Fund, please click here.  

If you are interested in learning more about planned giving, endowments, and how to make your legacy gift, click here.