Garden offers free
memberships
to
families of public service employees
More
local families will be able to experience the beauty and serenity
of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and its many programs without
charge thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the Lettie Pate Evans
Foundation.
The grant will
allow the Garden to develop a new program that will extend free
Garden memberships to employees of the City of Atlanta, Atlanta
Public Schools, MARTA, and Grady Health System and their families
next year. Members are admitted to the Garden for free and benefit
from its many educational programs offered throughout the year.
“We wanted to
offer something unique in the Atlanta community to show our
appreciation for the hard-working individuals and their families
that contribute so much to our city,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the
Garden’s President & CEO. “This program will invite
Atlanta’s police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, public
transit workers, maintenance staff, and other community-serving
employees to participate in the life of the Garden and become an
integral part of our membership base.”
At the same
time, the program will allow the Garden to reach a broader
audience, Matheson said.
As a Garden
member, participants will be entitled to visit the Midtown
attraction as often as they like. Under the three-year program, the
23,000 targeted employees will have the opportunity to enroll for a
free family membership (normally $109) the first year and a heavily
discounted one in the second and third years.
Participants
will receive the same benefits as all Garden members, including
daytime admission year-round, invitations to member-only events,
newsletters, discounts on educational programs and gift shop
purchases, and reciprocal benefits with other botanical gardens. They will also be invited to special events hosted specifically for
the participants.
"We are
very appreciative for the partnership with the Atlanta Botanical
Garden’s program,” said Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria
Carstarphen. “The program provides a wonderful opportunity for APS
to engage our employees -- especially our teachers in honor of
Teacher Appreciation Week -- and their families in taking full
advantage of becoming members and creating meaningful relationships
with such a strong community asset.”
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