In the last few days of 99-year-old Michael Galgano’s life, he chose to make a significant donation to the Anchor. “Now it’s in their hands,” he told his daughter, Marsha Mongell, last summer.
A resident of Bailey Island, Michael’s eyesight was failing and he couldn’t get out much, but he asked Marsha to read the paper cover-to-cover as soon as it arrived in his mailbox.
“It was the Anchor, Barron’s, The New York Times and The Boston Globe,” says Michael’s granddaughter, Courtney Mongell. “Nothing but the best!”
Michael was always building community wherever he went. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying more than 30 missions during World War II, he worked as a mortgage banker on Long Island. He also volunteered to be mayor of the town of Brookville, an area that resembled Harpswell in that it had no town center, so the local newspaper connected people.
“It was really the only place he could get the word out to the community about what was happening at the local government level,” Marsha says.
“If you live in a community, you get involved. It’s the only way you can make a difference in a positive way,” Michael would say to his children. “You do well, you give back.”
Michael loved Harpswell. “He only lived there for a few years before he died, but it reminded him of Brookville, with its working waterfront and rural nature,” Courtney says.
“His favorite thing was to get me to take him to BIGS for a slice of pizza and a beer,” Marsha reminisces, referring to the Bailey Island General Store. “He was 100% Italian, so he knew his pizza. And BIGS made the best.”
He loved Harpswell’s open spaces and the natural beauty of the place, so he also supported the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. He considered Harpswell a community that takes care of its own.
“The volunteer emergency services, Harpswell Aging at Home, the fundraisers for people in need — he was so appreciative of all of that,” Marsha says.
Why did he decide to make a large gift to the Anchor in the days before he died?
“It’s because he loved the Anchor, and he loved his newfound community,” Marsha says. “Even if he couldn’t get out much anymore, he wanted to know everything that was going on. He experienced the town through the paper.”
Now that Michael has put his generous donation in their hands, the team at the Anchor has decided to launch a new giving group. It is called the Bowsprit Society, and it celebrates those who make plans to support the Anchor through an estate gift.
A bowsprit is the spar that extends from the front of a sailing ship. The name was suggested by Gina Snyder, an Anchor volunteer.
“My first thought was that a bowsprit extends forward from the bow, almost like leading the ship or boat,” Snyder says. “What it does is provide support for the stays of the foremast, and it can provide additional sail area so the boat can go faster. So our wonderful newspaper can go further and faster with the support of the Bowsprit donors.”
Anyone who establishes a bequest in their estate planning can become a member of the Bowsprit Society. There is no minimum amount required for the gifts, and donors do not have to provide any private paperwork or proof of their financial situation.
Close to two-thirds of the Anchor’s revenue comes from philanthropy, and it is grateful that the community has come together to support award-winning, local, nonpartisan, nonprofit news. While those donations focus on current needs, Bowsprit gifts will shore up the Anchor’s financial foundation for many years to come.
The Anchor will celebrate Bowsprit donors by listing them in its annual report and hosting an annual event to thank them in person.
Greg Bestick, president of the Anchor’s board, encourages others to think about following Michael’s lead.
“When Anchor readers include the Anchor in their will, they create a lasting legacy that reflects their values and belief in our mission,” Greg says. “A planned gift costs nothing during their lifetimes but ensures future generations benefit from their generosity.”
Dan Hoebeke, a retired estate planning attorney who lives on Orr’s Island, knows the importance of gifts like Michael’s.
“Gifts from wills, trusts and retirement accounts provide long-term stability that is not guaranteed through annual fundraising,” Hoebeke said. “Especially in a town such as Harpswell, this exceptional support of the Anchor creates a legacy that will benefit generations to come.”
Michael’s daughter Courtney puts it a different way: “My dad used to tell us, ‘Synergistic connections add value to people’s lives.'”
To learn more about the Bowsprit Society, contact Janice Thompson at 207-504-4428 or janice@harpswellanchor.org.
