Pat McClelland, Chairman - Arkansas Children's Hospital

DONORSCharitable Remainder Trust Allows Couple toSupport Children’s Hospital and Save on TaxesAlyssa AndersonWhen Mary and Al Gartside bought 100 acres of land innorthwest Arkansas in 1960, they had no idea what a hugeinvestment their purchase was. But as the years passed, the landappreciated considerably, and in 1995 they asked their broker atAG Edwards how they could save on taxes if they sold theland.That was when the Gartsides decided to establish a charitableremainder trust and make Arkansas Children’s Hospital oneof three beneficiaries. A charitable remainder trust is anarrangement in which money, securities or other assets aretransferred to a trust that then pays the donor an income forlife or for a period of years. The trust can also pay an incometo another beneficiary of the donor’s choosing. At the death ofthe surviving beneficiary, the remaining principal in the trustgoes to a charity such as ACH.“Our choice of Children’s Hospital for the charity was dueto our granddaughter Angela being cared for there when shewas 18 months old,” says Mary Gartside. “She was a very sickbaby.”Angela, who is now 30, had serious kidney problems as ababy and was referred to aurologist in Rogers.“The Rogers urologistwanted to wait a few yearsto do surgery becauseAngela was so small,” Marysays, “but fortunately, thedoctor he had trainedunder, Dr. John Redman,a pediatric urologist atArkansas Children’sHospital, was there duringthe time the X-rays wereThis photo of Mary and AlGartsides’ granddaughter Angelawas taken the day she leftArkansas Children’s Hospital. Thecare Angela received at ACH wasthe inspiration for the Gartsides’gift to the hospital.made. When Dr. Redmanreturned to Little Rock, hecalled my son and saidAngela needed to be operatedon immediately. He operateda few days later andcorrected the problem.”Angela and her husband, Robert Hensley, now live in Tulsa whereshe works as a nuclear medicine technician.Mary says what she remembers most about the experiencewas that someone from ACH called Angela’s family to see ifthey needed financial help.“Our son and family didn’t need it because their insurancewas adequate to take care of the expenses, but what impressedme was that Angela would have been cared for even if herparents had not been able to pay,” Mary says. “That was ourreason for wanting Children’s Hospital in our trust.”Al Gartside is a native of Rogers, and Mary was born andraised in southwest Arkansas. The couple met at the Universityof Arkansas but not until they both had graduated. At thetime, Mary was working in a lab for the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, and Al had come back to visit his professors.The Gartsides moved to Rogers in the early 1950s. Bothworked as school teachers, but Al’s interest was in farming, sohe gave up his job as a junior high science teacher to pursuehis love. They raised two sons, Brian, who now lives inFayetteville, and Phil, who lives in Seattle. The Gartsides havefour grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.After her surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Angelathrived. She graduated from the University of OklahomaSchool of Nuclear Medicine and is now working as a nuclearmedicine technician in Tulsa.Mary says others who are struggling with what to do withhighly appreciated assets should consider a charitable remaindertrust. She also says they should consider supportingArkansas Children’s Hospital because “the hospital does somany things to help children.”8