ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The deceased heiress of the McDonald's restaurant fortune left $1.5 billion to Virginia's Salvation Army.
Joan Kroc, widow of Ray Kroc, the milkshake salesman who founded the McDonald's chain in 1955, died of brain cancer in October at the age of 75.
Before her death, she specified the donation to the evangelical Christian organization be earmarked to build and operate community centers around the country, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The bequest calls for half the money to be used for building 30 to 35 new centers, which would provide recreational and educational facilities to the public. The other half is supposed to go into an endowment, from which the interest will be used to help offset operating costs.
Her estate has been valued at around $2 billion.
