The estate of a longtime community volunteer has donated nearly $1 million to the Redwood City Education Foundation (RCEF) to support future generations of Redwood City students, according to the organization in a statement.
Violet King, a Redwood City resident who passed away in October 2020 at the age of 101, also bequeathed donations to the 4Cs of San Mateo County, Kiwanis Children Fund and the Young Dreamer Network via the Violet King Trust.
RCEF, which aims to addresses inequities and help students thrive via financial support, advocacy and engagement, said it will apply Ms. King’s gift toward establishing an endowed fund to support its critical social-emotional and educational support programs in perpetuity.
Ms. King’s final wishes were “to benefit the children of San Mateo County” and selected organizations working within Redwood City due to its diversity and “multiple opportunities to help children of all ages and all needs,” according to Estate Trustee Michael Lynch.
A 20-year employee of the County of San Mateo’s Probation Department, Ms. King was a frequent volunteer for community organizations including the Redwood City Library and Kaiser Permanente, Redwood City, per RCEF. Ms. King, a native of the United Kingdom, moved to the Peninsula with her husband, Vern King, in 1958.
RCEF Executive Director Jason Galisatus said that the organization aims to honor Ms. King’s memory by “investing these funds to have the greatest impact on the students of need within our school district.” He said that the organization is assembling an exploratory committee of community leaders to launch a campaign to match her gift.
“Planned gifts like hers are like seeds that sprout into opportunity for Redwood City children for generations to come,” added Galisatus.
Learn more about RCEF and its community work here.
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