Leath Foundation Makes Contribution to Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham Capital Campaign

May 31, 2011

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. –Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham today announced that the Museum has received a charitable gift from The Thomas H. and Mary Hadley Connor Leath Foundation. Founded in honor of Mary Hadley Connor Leath, the foundation has supported education-based and child-focused organizations since 1990.

”Mary Hadley Connor Leath loved children and dedicated her life to educating them,” said Steve Morris, Leath Foundation board member and Campaign Cabinet member. “Discovery Place’s mission to ignite wonder is a natural extension of her passion, which was offering wonderful learning opportunities to this community’s youth.”

“We are very proud that this gift will support an endowment fund, which will provide subsidized admission for low-income Richmond County families,” added Brent Neal, Leath Foundation board member.

The Leath Foundation gift continues the momentum for the Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham project, which recently announced that the City of Rockingham is finalizing the purchase of the McKenzie Furniture building as the home for the new Museum. Other significant gifts to the comprehensive campaign for Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham include the initial leadership gifts of the Cole and Richmond Community Foundations as endowment partners and a challenge grant from The Leon Levine Foundation to help meet the Museum’s capital needs. The City of Rockingham will act as the facility partner for the new venture. Additional gifts have been received from the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority, Pee Dee Electric and North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Honorary chairmen Russell Bennett and Neal Cadieu oversee a Campaign Cabinet tasked with raising awareness of the venture and seeking leadership support from the Sandhills region.

“We are incredibly grateful for support of the Leath Foundation and earnestly look forward to broadening the scope of fun educational experiences for children in this region,” said Russell Bennett, campaign co-chair. “Generous gifts like theirs help us move one step closer to our fundraising goal and the reality of a Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham.”

No official opening date has been announced for the Museum.

About Discovery Place KIDS
Discovery Place KIDS is an innovative model in regional children’s museums developed by Discovery Place, Inc., the parent company of Discovery Place and Charlotte Nature Museum. Discovery Place KIDS is built on the theme of “I CAN” and offers unique opportunities for learning through play for children and their parents or caregivers. For more information about Discovery Place KIDS, call 704-372-6261 or visit discoveryplaceKIDS.org.

About Discovery Place
One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place provides ever-changing, entertaining facilities that engage the public in the active exploration of science and nature. More than a half-million people from all over the United States visit Discovery Place, its IMAX® Dome Theatre and Charlotte Nature Museum each year. In June 2010, the Museum completed an 18-month, $31.6 million renovation, resulting in a completely transformed and re-imagined experience with all-new interactive exhibits. Discovery Place is supported, in part, with operating support from the Arts & Science Council. Connect with Discovery Place on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Discovery Place is located in uptown Charlotte at 301 N. Tryon Street. Convenient parking is available in the Museum’s parking deck – the Carol Grotnes Belk Complex – at the corner of Sixth and Church Streets. For more information about Discovery Place call (704) 372-6261 or visit discoveryplace.org.

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