Cris and Linda Remucal moved to Hutchinson in 1973 so Cris could work as a surgeon in Hutchinson, Glencoe, Litchfield and Winsted.
“We thought we’d try small town life,” Linda said.
They liked it and stayed, raising three sons and weaving themselves into the fabric of the community. Cris served patients in the area for four decades. He made connections with the people he helped and still runs into former patients at the grocery store.
“Hutchinson is a friendly community, and it felt like we could really make a difference, like what we got involved in mattered,” said Linda, who was an advisory board member with the Hutchinson Area Community Foundation, one of our 28 affiliate partners.
Cris served two terms on our board of directors, from 2008 to 2013. Meeting fellow board members with experience in sectors like agriculture and banking gave Cris new insights. And when the board toured the region to get to know its communities, he was impressed.
“It was an eye-opener. Nationally known companies started in these small towns. And your community has to be strong enough to attract those businesses. I could see the work the foundation was doing to help businesses, and I think that’s some of its most important work. I was on the investment committee, so I know it really makes a big difference.”
Linda sees the foundation’s recent focus on community child care solutions as critical to the region’s ability to thrive. The Remucals know how much southwest Minnesota has to offer, and they believe in supporting rural communities. They give to the Hutchinson Area Community Foundation and are members of our Growing Home Circle, making an annual gift to our general endowment through their IRA.
“With the tax changes, it just makes sense to give directly from our IRA. It’s nice to get a tax benefit while supporting what we care about,” Linda said.
For those age 70 1/2 or older, making an IRA charitable rollover gift, also called a Qualified Charitable Distribution, can be an easy way to make a difference. You can make a gift of up to $100,000 from your IRA that qualifies as your required minimum distribution, and you won’t have to pay federal income tax on the amount given from your IRA to SWIF or a SWIF-held fund.
