That was the vision of Joan Kroc, billionaire philanthropist and heiress to the McDonald’s fortune of her husband, Ray. And today, 20 years later, 26 grand, state-of-the-art Kroc centers have opened in places as varied as Ashland, Ohio; Guayama, Puerto Rico; and Quincy, Illinois. Half was to be earmarked for the construction of recreation centers, with the other half deposited into endowments to support them. In the two decades since Kroc’s bequest, quantifying the precise impact on all of the communities served by the Kroc centers is difficult. She explained that Joan Kroc meant for the place to be accessible to all — that beauty was part of her plan.

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Persons: Joan Kroc, Ray, Army didn’t, Joan Kroc’s, MacKenzie Scott, Kroc, revved, she’d, Ronald McDonald, MacKenzie, Phil Buchanan, Scott, ”, “, that’s, Angelia Grandberry, Grandberry, Lisa Napoli, Joan Organizations: Salvation Army, Phoenix Kroc, Army, baseball’s San Diego Padres, San, National Hockey League, Catholic, Notre Dame, University of San, Ronald McDonald House Charities, National Public Radio, Center, Coast Kroc, Associated Press Locations: Ashland , Ohio, Puerto Rico, Quincy , Illinois, Boston, Augusta , Georgia, San Francisco, U.S, Southern California, baseball’s, St, Paul , Minnesota, San Diego, University of San Diego, Biloxi , Mississippi