Generosity threaded through generations
When Tyby Klein was growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., during the 1930s, her mother, Sara Steiner, donated to City of Hope each week as part of the International Lady Garment Workers Union’s charitable giving campaign. Considering the ties woven by her mother to City of Hope, and Klein’s own tightly held personal philanthropic beliefs, it is not surprising that Klein and her husband, Gerry, recently donated $267,000 to the institution.
The Kleins’ relationship with City of Hope has remained strong for decades. The duo joined New York’s Westbury Chapter in 1968 and actively raised funds. The couple’s connection to City of Hope deepened when they relocated to Tamarac, Fla., and joined the Kings Point Chapter. As they grew older, the Kleins wanted to do even more, noting their family ethic, “If you give, you get back tenfold; it’s important that you take care of other people.”
(Clockwise, from lower left) A family of true philanthropists: patriarch Gerry, Carol, Shelley, Sharon, Tyby and Joanne Klein
Inherent altruism was not the only motivation for the Kleins’ support. As a scientist, Gerry appreciates the personal dedication of City of Hope researchers as well as the potential embodied in the cancer center. “The fact that City of Hope has its own biological manufacturing capabilities compresses the timeframe to advance new treatments and possible cures,” Gerry said. “It’s worth investing in it.”
The Kleins are equally impressed by the vision of City of Hope’s scientists. “They have the freedom to dream and go way beyond the realm of traditional research,” Gerry said. “These researchers really do think outside of the box.”
The Kleins, married for nearly six decades, still reside in Tamarac. The couple has four daughters, Sharon, Carol, Shelley and Joanne, and six grandchildren. The Kleins often attend performances by the Miami City Ballet, and Gerry serves as a trustee for the organization.