Altona’s Dr Robert Tonge, who is among the 7.5 per cent of Australians who have left a bequest to charity in their will, says he aims to help fix the tears in the fabric of humanity.
Close to 100 charities have banded together for Include a Charity Week, from September 11-17, in a bid to increase the number of people bequesting to a charity to 12 per cent – translating to an extra $440million.
Dr Tonge, an 83-year-old retired pediatrician who worked in the public health system, has been a donator for years but in 2014 decided to make a bequest.
He has made four bequests: to Stroke Foundation, NeuRA (Neuroscience Research Australia), Royal Flying Doctor Service and Medecins Sans Frontieres or Doctors Without Borders.
“The fabric of humanity and the world, that’s holding each other together, has been crumbled and it’s full of holes and tears,” Dr Tonge said, seated inside his modest retirement village unit.
“I’m just aware of these big big tears in this important fabric, like environmental degradation, war and suffering, manmade diseases and natural diseases.”
Dr Tonge said he leaned towards “Cinderella” charities that received less attention.
Stroke is also close to his heart, his mother having died of a massive stroke. He said charities like Stroke Foundation had made enormous advances. He said his bequests would be about eight to 10 per cent of his estate. “No bequest is too small,” Dr Tonge said.
Goya Dmytryshchak
