Fund Spotlight
The Cathyrn “Graggy” Morris Fund
Nancy Morris Sanner established the Cathryn “Graggy” Morris Fund to honor her mother, Cathryn, fondly known as Graggy by her grandchildren and family friends. The Graggy Fund will continue Graggy’s lifelong love for children and her belief in making Southwest Louisiana a better place. Through the power of endowment, the fund will support children's causes and respond to needs and opportunities in our region not only now, but for generations to come.
During her lifetime, Nancy will guide the fund's charitable giving and make tax-deductible contributions to enhance its impact. She also made plans for additional gifts to the fund through her estate, ensuring that the values she inherited from her mother will continue to shape and strengthen our community forever.
Ultimately, the Community Foundation will steward the fund in accordance with Nancy's wishes, creating a lasting legacy of generosity. This is the power of an endowment, a gift that keeps giving year after year after year.
From L to R: Graggy and her daughter Nancy.
What are some of the characteristics of your mother that you want to carry on by having this fund in her honor?
My mother was a transplant to Lake Charles from Pana, Illinois, but Lake Charles became her town. She modeled community involvement/volunteerism for not only her four daughters and grandchildren, but others as well. She was respected by many adults for her various activities. Many were cornered by her persistent fund raising.
What causes were important to her and how did she demonstrate her support for them?
My mother was involved on a community level as long as I can remember. No matter her circumstances, she was aware how community fits into a state and a nation. She used her time and energy for a life-long commitment to participation. This set an example for her four daughters. Whether it was delivering meals to those less fortunate, collecting donations for various charity organizations or for her children/grandchildren's schools, she was part of the local fabric of Lake Charles.
Annually, my mother would receive packets from The March of Dimes and The American Heart Association, to name a few. She would walk door-to- door asking for donations to those organizations, collect checks, complete forms, and return everything to the local headquarters. When her children were in school, she was an active member of the PTA and involved in all school activities. If one of her daughters was interested in it, she was all in.
Numerous political campaigns enjoyed my mother's keen interest in politics. Her participation in local, state, and federal politics was witnessed by many. She spent countless hours volunteering for campaigns, as well as long hours working the polls, until her age prevented her from doing this. She cast her last vote at 93
Graggy is looking at her oldest grandchild surrounded by all of her children, grandchildren, first great-grandchild, and significant others.
Tell us about some things her grandchildren loved about her or doing with her?
We were very lucky to have my mother (known to all as "Graggy") provide day care for our infants and/or after-school care for many of her grandchildren.
One of the most memorable activities was Graggy showing them how to pick magnolias, her favored flower, whether in her own yard or others. Graggy gave them much leeway in playing around her house, as shown by permanent marks (when she wasn't looking) on her living room rug.
To encourage reading, she would provide sheets to transform her dining room table into a fort with pillows and books from the many trips to the library. She gladly fixed many a BLT sandwich with homemade milkshakes. She created a peaceful, supportive, and fun atmosphere to grow up in. She was welcoming and selfless.
What inspired you to honor her legacy through a charitable endowment fund?
I am inspired by my mother's carry-on attitude. I cannot think of a better way to carry on her example than by donating to the Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana, which will benefit the children of the community my mother loved.