Sonya Wright, FOTA Executive Committee Chair
The Arboretum is 25 years old this month! Hopefully you had the opportunity to participate in one of our public or private celebrations in early June. Many thanks to Suzie Swyden, our FOTA Coordinator, who pulled together all the arrangements in a very short period of time. Katharine Garrison, the Arboretum's Special Events Coordinator, along with Bre Wasinger, one of our Volunteer Coordinators, researched and created a visual history of the Arboretum and the surrounding area back to the 1800s, with help from volunteer graphic designer Judy Moser. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to visit the Visitor Center Sunroom and check it out! A PDF version will be coming this week on the Friends of the Arboretum website, homepage, opabg.org At the private celebration, we enjoyed hearing from Mayor Carl Gerlach, Parks Director Greg Ruether, and Georgia Erickson, the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. Georgia shared some colorful stories about the early days of the Arboretum, and that inspired us so much we've added a new feature to our FOTA newsletter called "Arboretum Anecdotes." We invite you to send us your anecdote. Maybe you found love, got engaged or married at the Arboretum. Maybe you had an interesting encounter with nature while walking the trails. Or maybe you had an entertaining experience while volunteering - dealing with the public is always an adventure! Whatever it is, we'd like to hear about it. Email Suzie at [email protected] and you might see your story in a future edition of this newsletter.
We'll be continuing to celebrate our 25th anniversary over the next few months, so stay tuned for additional ways to join us. A new "Celebrate 25 by Giving 25" campaign is a fundraiser in which donors can contribute in increments of $25 to benefit the expansion of our Children's Garden. Donations may be made at Click to donate or you may send a check payable to Friends of the Arboretum, P.O. Box 26147, Shawnee Mission, KS 66225. Mark your check "25th Anniversary." In addition, in observance of the 25th anniversary, there is a 25 percent discount on an 18"x18" Celebration Terrace paver. Previously priced at $800, this paver is now $600. Click for info and to purchase Whatever you do, be sure to come out and enjoy the gardens this summer. With all the rain, everything is green and growing. Bring your friends, neighbors and family out for a stroll - we're open until 7:30 p.m. every evening. Or join us for one of our many events listed at www.opabg.org. Happy Birthday, Arboretum!
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