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Brett and Gina Pharis

Brett and Gina Pharis, planned giving donors to KUAR/KLRE Public Radio and UA Little Rock.

Gina and Brett Pharis have a long-time love of public radio. It started for both of them well before the couple even met.

Gina (Marchese) is an alumna of UA Little Rock, where she majored in radio, television, and film. She recalled class projects for courses in radio that were much different than they are today.

“I used to love splicing tape for radio in Stabler Hall,” said Gina. “When we edited our assignments back in the ’80s, we marked the audio reel with a special pencil to note where the words we wanted to remove were located on the tape. Then, we cut out that section, turned it over to tape it back together, and put it back in the reel-to-reel machine.”

Gina was a student when KUAR/KLRE public radio went on the air from Stabler Hall. Her love of radio also stems from her internships at KARN News Radio during college, where she produced the Pat Lynch Show and the Janet Carson Show.

Brett’s affinity for public radio began when he was in pharmacy school.

“I listened to KLRE whenever I studied at home,” said Brett. “I remember the station would play the same piece of music five minutes before midnight, and that was my sign that it was time to stop studying and get some sleep.”

The Pharises are frequent travelers, so they listen to local public radio stations while on the road. They know the call letters of the stations in various cities by heart. Both agree that public radio is a key element of local culture that bonds communities together.

“We believe KUAR/KLRE, our local station, delivers quality content as well as stations in much larger cities,” said Brett. “We don’t know of any cities the size of Little Rock that have two stations like ours.”

The Pharises’ estate gift also creates an endowment to provide general scholarships for students at UA Little Rock. Gina realized this need after serving on the Alumni Association’s board of directors.

“I served on the membership committee and volunteered to help the scholarship committee review and award scholarships to students through the Alumni Association. That was an eye-opener,” she said. “I was fortunate that my parents could pay for college, but when people need help financially, it’s important that they have access to it.”

Gina is the first person in her mother’s family to earn a college degree. Gina and her sister, Jill Marchese, are both UA Little Rock graduates. Brett and his sister also are college graduates.

Gina and Brett appreciate the importance of a college education and understand that there are critical thinking skills and other benefits that are attained during a student’s journey through higher education. They are encouraged about their planned gift and realize the impact it will make for students and public radio by supporting both for generations to come.

Like the Pharises, you, too, can create a legacy that reflects your values commitment to changing the lives of UA Little Rock students. Learn more by contacting Ginger Daril at 501-916-6437 or vlkays@ualr.edu today.