College sweethearts and Centerville residents Kat and Blair Cornell share a passion for helping others. This joint belief is rooted in family values and personal experiences, a philosophy they instill in their four children and demonstrate through their charitable giving.
“We’ve always enjoyed helping others but became passionate about it when our son, Carter, was born with challenges that changed our outlook on life in a significant way,” said Kat, a member of the board of trustees for The Disability Foundation, a supporting organization of The Dayton Foundation, and a certified public accountant. “This experience has helped shape our family as we view others and the world.”
Carter was the inspiration behind the creation of JoyRide Cars, Inc., a car club and nonprofit organization that brings together children with special needs and car enthusiasts.
“I had an ‘aha’ moment in 2016 when I noticed how taking Carter for a car ride helped to reset him if he was struggling or frustrated. I realized we could create our own organization to potentially help other kids,” said Blair, a certified financial planner and private wealth advisor who serves as managing director, Wealth Management for UBS Financial Services. “We want to bring joy to as many kids with special needs as possible through JoyRide.”
In addition to JoyRide, the Cornells give back using several charitable funds they established through The Dayton Foundation. In 2017, they opened a free Charitable Checking AccountSM to facilitate their current giving and
several deferred funds to support organizations important to them for future generations.
“The Dayton Foundation makes giving easy. I help my clients maximize their giving by encouraging them to use the Foundation and to give appreciated stock or directly from their IRA through a qualified charitable distribution,” Blair said. “By using one of these two options, clients can take full advantage of their gift rather than just using cash.”
“Giving through The Dayton Foundation is a great way to make a charitable gift that is impactful to others,” Kat added. “The Foundation has helped to create awareness of all the wonderful people who live in the Greater Dayton community and are looking to ‘be the change.’”
The Cornells use their charitable funds and acts of kindness to “be the change,” with their hope of helping to make the world a better place.
“Giving back is a part of our family’s identity. It’s important to us that our kids see the impact we can have on others through generosity,” Kat said. “Community is about being engaged and helping each other. We believe we
are stronger together and are here to leave things better than we found them.”
“We would like to be remembered one day for understanding the importance of making a positive difference,” Blair continued. “We all only have so much time and money, but how we choose to use them is what will
define our legacy.”