Salvation Army, YMCA, 2 Other Wisconsin Charities Get $1.7 Million Donation From Deceased Couple

A Wisconsin couple’s dying wish has finally come true…25 years later.

Norma and Angus Beaton pledged $1.7 million to four local charities in their will, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports. But the Green Bay, Wisc. couple had one caveat. If Norma died after Angus, then the money would not be distributed for 25 years so that she would have enough money to live off of.

Angus passed away in 1987 and Norma died just nine weeks later.

But now that the time limit has passed four local charities in the “Badger State” have cause to celebrate.

The Salvation Army of Brown County got $685,000 and the American Red Cross in Northeast Wisconsin, the Bay Area Humane Society and the YMCA each got $342,000, according to the Gazette.

The recently endowed nonprofits already have big plans.

Ken Shiels, the coordinator of the Brown County Salvation Army, told the New York Daily News that the donation will be used to spruce up the buildings where the agency runs their food banks, thrift store and other social programs.

“We’re very grateful for the money, it was a real surprise,” Shiels told the news outlet. “We feel very fortunate.”