Philanthropy

In 1951, the US Health Department noted a lack in quality health care facilities in the Puget Sound region. As a result, Kemper’s father championed the initiative for the construction of Eastside’s first hospital, now Overlake Medical Center. He served as general chairman of the fundraising campaign in the late 1950s. He enlisted both his tenants and friends to get behind the drive and even mortgaged his home in Medina to secure the building site. Today, Overlake Medical Center remains a not-for-profit voluntary, non-government, locally governed organization. As the Eastside’s first Level III Trauma Center, this Bellevue hospital provides more than 2,500 health care jobs. As a member of the hospital’s Board of Trustees, he vigorously supports maintaining the medical center as a private, not-for-profit entity to serve the Eastside and has served as co-chair of the hospital’s capital campaigns.

Bellevue LifeSpring’s mission is to foster stability and self-sufficiency for Bellevue’s children and their families by providing programs and services that feed, clothe, shelter, and educate those most vulnerable in our community.

Kemper is dedicated to promoting and sharing fine arts with the community of Bellevue. That commitment can be seen as over 200 artists are hosted along Bellevue Square’s West Drive as part of the Bellevue Arts Fair every summer and in the fine art installations shared with the public throughout The Bellevue Collection.

The Bellevue Schools Foundation promotes and helps fund the best possible learning opportunities for all students in the Bellevue School District. The board very much wanted the Foundation to become a Bellevue institution. They knew they needed visibility, more money, and meaningful projects that would resonate with the community.