Tom Haskins’ son, Sam, was born with Down syndrome in 1979. That’s when the Haskins family first found SOAR365 (then known as Greater Richmond ARC). Sam received occupational, physical and speech therapy with SOAR365 as an infant, and then joined our Adult Day Support program after graduating high school.  

To give back to the organization that supported his family, Tom served on the SOAR365 board of directors for 13 years. He was part of the board that supported the construction of our Saunders location, raised funding for PARK365 and helped renovate Camp Baker.   

But his support of the organization did not stop there. Professionally, Tom worked as an estate planning attorney, and he helped establish the Olga H. Thurston Trust for the Thurston family.  

“The Thurstons were my clients and friends for years until their passing,” explains Tom. “They were hard working people who looked at me for guidance on their final estate plans.” When the family considered leaving a legacy gift to a local nonprofit, Tom says, “I couldn’t think of a better place to recommend than SOAR365 – and they agreed!” 

In return, SOAR365 named multiple program spaces in their honor: the kitchen at our Saunders location is named after Roy and Olga Thurston, and one of the activity centers in the Adult Day Support area is named after their son, Paul Thurston.

Tom Haskins has been passionate about SOAR365’s mission since his son, Sam, first came to us for pediatric therapy. Today, Tom recommends SOAR365 to his estate planning clients, like the Thurston family.

“The Thurstons should be remembered as everyday people who left their entire wealth to SOAR365,” says Tom. “You don’t have to be rich to make a difference in the world, and the Thurstons are the perfect example of regular people making a big impact. I am glad to have played a small role in that.”  

Including SOAR365 in your estate plans allows you to continue providing support for people with disabilities, even after your lifetime. For more information on legacy gifts, please visit our website or contact Dana Wilson, Director of Major Gifts, at [email protected] or (804) 665-1213.