Bill and Joanna Cook began their adventure with Pura Vida in March, 2008 by sponsoring the education of Rolando. Thanks to their support, Rolando went on to finish his university studies in 2019. More students came later: Yensi (in 2015), Carlos (in 2019), and Joanna (2019).
Bill joined the board in 2015, where his investment expertise quickly came into play. He led the effort to enable Pura Vida to accept donations of appreciated stock. Bill was a strong advocate and supporter of the Lemoa Nutrition Program. He was also instrumental in the establishment of our new Legacy Endowment (see below). Bill took his first trip to Guatemala in 2017 as part of our annual English Camp. Many of the photos on this page are from that trip. We will miss Bill's thoughtful and generous presence on the board and his contributions to Pura Vida in general. Most of all, we will miss him as a friend. Memorial Funds
There are two ways you can honor Bill's memory with a memorial gift to Pura Vida. You can make a donation to our Unsponsored Student Fund using the yellow box below. For larger amounts you might consider a donation to our Legacy Endowment, the formation of which was one of Bill's last activities with us. Either way, your gift will be receipted as a charitable donation, and Joanna will be notified that we have received it. Pura Vida Ministries Legacy Endowment,
in memory of Bill Cook After joining the board, Bill was persistent in his vision to establish a fund to sustain our work in Guatemala far into the future. The idea was to give us flexibility to creatively increase our level of support in Guatemala. Since this endowment is in the early stages of funding, we can really use your assistance in getting it up to speed. How to Donate to the endowment: Please complete the form below, and send along with your check to the address listed on the form. Checks should be made out the Denver Foundation. Instructions for electronic transfers can be found in the form. ![]()
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