- Pat Stryker
Patricia Stryker (born
1956 ) is the granddaughter ofHomer Stryker , surgeon and founder of Stryker Corporation, amedical technology company.The low-profile heiress has been more active in civic life in recent years, with an interest in liberal causes. She donated $3 million to defeat a
2002 ballot initiative regardingbilingual education inColorado . In 2004, she gave $20 million toColorado State University , mostly to benefit its football team.Stryker bought Sonoma's Sommer Vineyards in
1999 , which she rebuilt, replanted, and rechristened as Stryker Sonoma [http://www.strykersonoma.com/] . It covers 32 acres (129,000 m²) inAlexander Valley ,California , producer of classicvinifera varietiesBordeaux andZinfandel .Political donations
In 2006, Stryker gave $500,000 to the
Coalition for Progress , a political action committee that donated heavily to support Democratic party candidates in Michigan elections. [ [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17861&keywords=overturn "Jon Stryker Strikes Again"] ]Stryker donated $3 million to defeat a
2002 ballot initiative regardingbilingual education inColorado .Following fraud allegations in November 2007 involving Stryker Corp. overbilling for Medicare in South Dakota, Republicans called on Democratic organizations to return donations they had received from Stryker and her brother,
Jon Stryker . [ [http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=207848 "Stryker siblings face GOP allegations"] ]Gang of Four
Stryker,
Jared Polis ,Tim Gill , andRutt Bridges are known in Colorado political circles as the "Gang of Four". Significant political contributions from the four to favored Democratic candidates has played a role in electing a Democratic majority in Colorado's house and senate. [ [http://www.chieftain.com/editorial/1192273201/2 "Gang of Four bankrolled Democratic resurgence"] ]Democracy Alliance
According to New York Times reporter Matt Bai, Stryker attended the April 2005 meeting of the
Democracy Alliance near Scottsdale, Arizona.External links
* [http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/10/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=N6Z4&datatype=Person Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People]
* [http://www.bohemianfoundation.org/ Bohemian Foundation]Notes
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