A Corporate Community Committee has been selected to lead a funding effort on behalf of Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham, the newest museum in the Discovery Place family, currently under construction in downtown Rockingham.
Charged with the task of engaging local businesses who have an interest in education and quality of life in the region, the recently appointed committee will focus on building partnerships in the Sandhills region. Gifts secured by the committee will be used to meet objectives for facility and endowment needs as well as exhibition upgrades, fabrication and maintenance. The Corporate Community Committee was formed in anticipation of the Blast Off event that marked the official launch of museum construction and the subsequent community phase of the campaign.
“I have been involved with this project since its inception and am proud of how our community has come together,” said Frank Jenkins, Corporate Community Committee co-chair and co-owner of Jenkins Automotive and Industrial Supply, a family-owned business located in Rockingham. “Local companies like Dairy Queen, Tri-Cook Electronics, Richmond Forest Products, Witherspoon Heating and Cooling, Andy’s Burgers and others are making significant investments to make this project a reality.”
Corporate Advisory Group members include Sandra Barnhardt, Carolina Insurance; Brian Baucom, BB&T; Chip Cloninger, Four Oaks Bank; Anne Edwards, Pee Dee Electric; Caroline Goodwin, Thomas Realty; Terry Greene, J.C. Penney; Frank Jenkins, Jenkins Automotive and Industrial Supply; Bryan Leggett, First Bank; John Maultsby, Trinity Manufacturing; Debra Parsons, Coldwell Banker; Keith Parsons, Community One; Carolyn Rector, ABS; Roger Staley, retired community leader.
“Our hope is to involve all businesses, large and small, in this project,” said Anne Edwards, Corporate Community Committee co-chair. “Our community has already responded to a call to invest in quality of life by bringing a children’s museum of this caliber here, and we hope to be able to recognize many more of our small businesses as a part of this community effort.”
The Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham project was launched by the commitment of $6.6 million in funds from the Cole Foundation and the Richmond Community Foundation. Their visionary leadership gifts, which were facilitated by The Foundation For The Carolinas, are intended for the long-term sustainability of the museum.
Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham, the only children’s museum of its kind in the region, will encourage development of essential childhood skills through creative play and learning activities for children and their caregivers. Interactive, imagination-stimulating opportunities for children include immersive exhibits, live programming such as story time and puppet shows, a visual arts studio and an outdoor garden, all focused on encouraging the development of the whole child. The museum will open in 2013.
Post a Comment
