The Mill Creek MetroParks are celebrating Fellow Riverside Garden’s 60th anniversary during their annual Winter Celebration.

This year’s celebration has a “Frozen in Time” theme to celebrate the diamond anniversary of the facility.

Jaime Yohman, the park’s Community Engagement Director, said that annually non-profit organizations purchase 60 trees spread throughout the facility to decorate during the event.

“It’s a community event, and we have a large response from the community throughout the month of December,” Yohman said.

Along with the annual tree walk to celebrate the anniversary, the committee created a memory wall.

“We reached out to the community and asked for any pictures of the gardens throughout the years,” said Sharmon Lesnak, the head volunteer for the event. Lesnak, along with Pam Nock and Debbie Walker, organized the event and coordinated the volunteers.

“We really want to thank the volunteers. They’re great and this would not be possible without them,” Lesnak said.

The planning for the event begins in early June when the committee starts organizing work shop days. During the workshops, Lesnak said they hand-make ornaments to use during the month of December to decorate the gardens.

This year, Lesnak and other committee members used plastic bottles and permanent markers to hand make ornaments for the event. All supplies were donated by community members and created by volunteers.

“It’s a huge undertaking every year,” Yohman said. “But Sharmon is very creative and we always have a beautiful turn out.”

The event will also feature characters from Disney’s “Frozen” to fit the theme.

Sister’s Anna and Elsa will make an appearance on Saturdays during December for children and their families to enjoy.

“It’s really a big community event,” Lesnak said. “We always try to have something for the kids to enjoy.”

Along with the tree walk and the visits from Disney characters, the event will feature a number of musicians to entertain community members. The community is also invited to bring a donation of non perishable food that the park will give to the Second Harvest food bank at the end of the event. Kravitz Deli will also offer food specials throughout December at their Garden Cafe.

“Community members can come in, see the lights and have a nice meal at the cafe,” Yohman said. “It’s really a great event everyone seems to have fun.”

Frozen in Time will run through Dec. 30 at Fellows Riverside Garden, with the garden staying open till 7 p.m. on Saturdays to accommodate guests.

“We really owe so much of this to the lovely volunteers,” Lesnak said. “Without them none of this would be possible.”

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The Ford Nature Center at Mill Creek MetroParks announces it has received a $500,000 contribution toward renovations. 

The Florence Simon Beecher & John D. Finnegan Foundations combined to make the donation to the $3 million project. 

This donation will directly benefit the renovation work on the carriage house which will serve as an education building, a central hub of all school-based and group tours of the Ford Nature Center upon completion. 

The MetroParks Board of Park Commissioners has elected to name the completed structure “The Beecher Finnegan Education Building,” in the donor’s honor. 

“Our grateful appreciation goes out to the Florence Simon Beecher & John D. Finnegan Foundations for their generous contribution to the new Education Building at the Ford Nature Center. This building will serve as the gateway to learning about the natural wonders of the world for thousands of local school children each year. Its impact on not only the Ford Nature Center but the entire MetroParks will be felt for generations to come,” says Chris Litton, Mill Creek MetroParks Director of Development.

The project has currently raised $1 million of the $3 million goal, and The Sand Hill Foundation of Menlo Park, California has offered a challenge grant which will match donations raised after November 1 up to $1 million.

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Mill Creek Park aimed to collect the money needed to renovate the Ford Nature Center on Giving Tuesday on Nov. 27.

Chris Litton, the director of development, said that the center hasn’t received serious renovations for 25 years.

“The renovations are much needed,” Litton said.

To help them reach this goal, the park received a matching grant from the Sand Hill Foundation in California.

Litton said Sand Hill would match every dollar raised by the park up to $1 million to benefit the center.

“We have never really done this before,” Litton said. “This is a first for us.”

The park was able to raise $7,423 on Tuesday which will be matched by the grant to total $14,846.

Litton said the largest donation of $5,000, came from Thomas and Katherine Shipka.

“We are very grateful to the Shipka’s for their generous and continued support of the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation,” Litton said.

The Ford Nature Center opened in 1972 and is the epicenter of education programs for the park.

Currently housed in the center are the Habitat Room, the Discovery Room and a Live Animal Room.

Children are able to travel to the center to learn about local animals, their habitats and other aspects of the nature in the park.

The center also houses a teachers’ resource center, which has a range of books, videos and other materials for local teachers to use in their class rooms.

The center offers a variety of programs for school age children throughout the year, marking it as one of the most utilized buildings in the Mill Creek Park.

Litton said construction on the center will likely begin in Spring 2019.

“It’s an important building and it needs the renovations,” Litton said.

View the full article at vindy.com