A former North Stonington resident has left an $8 million gift to benefit animals in Connecticut.
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut announced Wednesday it was named to receive the residuary estate of Peter Grayson Letz, who died last September.
“This is a wonderful gift, because it permits us to get involved in supporting basic needs related to environmental issues. In order to even further magnify the wishes of the donor, we are investing the money in a socially responsible ways so that the foundation can provide a greater social impact and increase education about animal welfare and the environment," Maryam Elahi, president of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, said.
Letz specified that the estate, valued at about $8 million, be used to promote animal welfare and protect the wildlife in New London County.
The foundation says the gift is the largest it has ever received and will be used to create a permanent endowment, the Peter Grayson Letz Fund for Animals and the Environment.
They anticipate the fund will generate about $320,000 in grant dollars each year to be awarded for projects benefiting animals.
