Meet Our Donors
We thank all our planned-gift donors for their generous support. Here are some of their stories.
Al & Stella DiPasqua
Not everyone is lucky enough to see a grizzly bear in Yellowstone. But Al and Stella DiPasqua of Dallas, Texas, saw one on the first day of their very first visit to the Park. This is the famous magic of Yellowstone. During that original three-day visit in 2001, the DiPasquas realized they had just begun to see the vast beauty and wonders of the Park.
They felt they had, in their own words, found paradise. So when the Yellowstone Park Foundation requested their support, and their own research showed that the Foundation had a good track record of effective stewardship, the DiPasquas gave generously.
"Yellowstone is a place where man has left a very small footprint," said Stella, "which is an amazing feat, considering how many people visit each year."
They have returned to Yellowstone many times and continue to see their contributions used wisely to protect the Park’s precious resources. On these occasions when they explore Yellowstone’s backcountry, their thoughts often turn to the early explorers, like those of the Hayden Expedition.
"We think about the awe and utter amazement they must have felt about this wild landscape," said
Al. "Thomas Moran captured it so vividly though his artwork that he was able to assist Yellowstone in becoming a national treasure–the world’s first national park."
After several years of making an annual gift, the DiPasquas joined the Foundation’s leadership as Board and Advisory Council members.
Not long ago, they took their commitment a step further by making the Yellowstone Park Foundation a beneficiary in their will. Stella summed up their reason for making a bequest to the Foundation:
"I guess, to put it simply, we want to help continue the explorers’ legacy," said Stella. "We can help their dream live on with each new generation, because we share their passion for this incredible place."
