Jim Bartel seeks to ‘light up kids’ lives’ at Mary Bridge Children’s

James “Jim” Bartel learned about Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital during his visits to his doctor’s appointments at the MultiCare Tacoma campus.

“I’ve seen what they do at Mary Bridge Children’s — it’s amazing,” Jim says.

In 2010, he made the first of many gifts to support Mary Bridge Children’s. Along with contributing financially, Jim stocks up on toys and drops them off regularly to the delight of young patients.

“It makes my day knowing that it’s going to light up a little kid’s life,” he explains.

Jim credits this spirit of generosity to his godmother, an RN from Syracuse, and his godfather, who works for the Lutheran Church.

Recently, Jim decided to multiply his impact by leaving a gift to Mary Bridge Children’s in his estate plan.

“Kids are the circle of life, and it’s important to take care of the circle of life. It starts with them,” he says. “I’m not that wealthy. I just feel it’s an obligation of mine to give back.”

Jim hopes that his legacy will inspire others to invest in care at Mary Bridge Children’s.

Whether you have a passion like Jim for helping children, have been impacted by another a MultiCare program or foundation program or want to advocate for better health care for your community, you can make a difference through your will, trust, retirement plan or other legacy gift. To learn more, contact our gift planning team at 253-403-1264 or plannedgiving@multicare.org.