Years ago, Dr. Sami Solu (seen left) made a decision to create a legacy fund. Now, years later, students are benefiting from his smart investment decisions and money managing skills.
Legacy funds can be created at TPF with principal balance of which will continue to earn interest and impact future generations long after the donor is gone.
TPF spoke with his daughter-in-law Ozlem Oge, who revealed a fascinating account of how she came to the point of contacting us to make a donation.
Ms. Oge recently contacted Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi (CYDD) looking for an organization where they can make their tax-deductible donation. Something that really excites us as an organization is hearing our donors stories, learning why they want to donate and what has inspired them to give to a specific cause.
Ms. Oge had a unique story. Generally donors have never been on the receiving end of scholarships. But not in this case. Ozlem knew exactly what it felt like to work extremely hard, but still not have enough funds to educate her son. She was heartbroken. Her son contacted CYDD. Within months funds were coming in. It made the world of a difference. With the help of a scholarship from CYDD, he was able to continue his studies and even made the decision to come to the U.S. He is currently pursuing a B.A. in Political Science student in Topeka, Kansas.
On one of Ms. Oge’s trips
to the U.S. to visit her son, she met someone who later became her husband. It is because of his father, Dr. Sami Solu, that we can write this story. Ozlem never had the chance to meet her late father-in-law, or to express how grateful she was for his initiative of creating a legacy fund, designed to benefit and support social issues in Turkey. However, ecstatic to learn about his fund, Ms. Oge’s first move was to give back to CYDD. And that is where they came upon TPF. As a catalyst for U.S. based donors, we were able to serve Ms. Oge just as she wished. The money in Dr. Sami Solu’s legacy fund will be used as scholarships to benefit medical students in Turkey.
Dr. Solu had worked for years in the U.S. as an emergency care doctor. He is a graduate of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine. His first stop in the US was Memorial Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Then, he served at many hospitals in the US from Colorado, New York to North Carolina. In 1972, Dr. Solu became the first director of Robinson Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department in Ravenna, Ohio, and retired as a honorary staff from the department.Until his passing in 2011, Dr. Solu was a proponent of the advancement of emergency care in Turkey. He was a devoted physician and family man.
Ms. Oge couldn’t be happier to be making a difference in students’ lives around Turkey. She, herself, was immensely affected by the scholarships given by CYDD. She understands the power they have to make great things happen and hopes to have more impact through Dr. Solu’s legacy fund.
