Rick Stevens was a teacher at Sydney Grammar, St Ives, for 35 years, where he was Deputy Head and Head of Mathematics.

During that time, Rick ran the social service committee which supported charities. Their major charity was Children’s Medical Research Foundation (now Children’s Medical Research Institute, CMRI) and he took groups of boys every year to visit the Camperdown site. When CMRI moved to its current research laboratories in Westmead in 1992, the school continued its support.

Rick also became an individual donor and says, “As I don’t have children to bequeath to, there came a time when I also decided to become a CMRI Gift in Will donor.”

While Rick is very interested in advancing research across all areas of medical science, he particularly chooses to support medical research for children, because regrettably, so many don’t survive.

“CMRI is one of the world’s leading institutes, and it specifically looks after children,” says Rick.

Acknowledging the immense advancements CMRI has made in increasing the number of children who survive cancer, Rick says: “I’m pleased to be making a small input into closing the gap even further”.

He wants to see children survive into adulthood so they can take up a career and contribute to society.  Rick would also like to help ensure that CMRI’s gifted researchers have the financial support they need, to help ensure their research programs continue year after year, and therefore realize the best possible outcomes.

Rick says: “Through my gift in Will, I would like to leave a legacy for future generations.”