San Francisco, July 25, 2014: In a ceremony at the Korean Consulate General in San Francisco, Mrs. Susan Koret, Chair of the Koret Foundation, www.koret.org, presented a grant agreement to Donald Reid, Treasurer of the Korean War Memorial Foundation, www.kwmf.org. Consul General Han Dong-man hosted the participants and officiated at the ceremony. The agreement confirms that the Koret Foundation has approved a grant of $250,000 to KWMF. Thanks to this generous gift, KWMF’s fundraising total now stands at just under $1.9 million. With an additional $1 million pledge from the Republic of Korea pending, the total could reach or exceed $3 million before the end of the year, and bring KWMF closer to its target of just under $3.5 million.
Signing Ceremony. Caption: From left: Gerard Parker, Executive Director, KWMF; Man J. Kim, Vice President, KWMF; Susan Koret, Chair, Koret Foundation; Donald Reid, Treasurer, KWMF; and Han Dong-man, Consul General of the Republic of Korea, San Francisco)
Several days earlier, on July 22, Consul General Han held a dinner reception at his residence. Among the distinguished guests were Mrs. Koret and San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. The reception included a brief ceremony in which Consul General Han presented Mrs. Koret with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in acknowledgement of her generous support of the Korean War Memorial Foundation.
CG’s Certificate. Caption: Consul General Han, Mayor Lee, and Mrs. Koret with the Certificate of Appreciation
Based in San Francisco, the Koret Foundation supports organizations that promote a vibrant and distinctive Bay Area. Joseph Koret was the foundation’s founder and first chairman—a position he held until his death in 1982, when his portion of his substantial estate flowed to the foundation, and his wife, Susan, became board chair for life. Over the years, the Foundation’s priorities have evolved along with the landscape of the Bay Area. Today, Koret’s primary focus areas include connecting and strengthening the Jewish community and supporting Bay Area anchor institutions. Since 1979, the Koret Foundation has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in strengthening the communities of the Bay Area, Israel, and, most recently, Poland. Its cumulative philanthropic investment is currently approaching $500 million.