White River Valley Museum receives grants, sponsorship, event revenue

The White River Valley Museum and Mary Olson Farm recently were awarded grants from King Conservation District, 4Culture, Puget Sound Energy and Heritage Distilling.

September 18, 2012 4:41 pm
Erik Carels gives Toni Gates a taste of beer during the Hops & Crops Brew Festival at Mary Olson Farm last Saturday. The event raised $7
Erik Carels gives Toni Gates a taste of beer during the Hops & Crops Brew Festival at Mary Olson Farm last Saturday. The event raised $7

The White River Valley Museum and Mary Olson Farm recently were awarded grants from King Conservation District, 4Culture, Puget Sound Energy and Heritage Distilling.

Using Kickstarter.com, museum officials reached the goal of $1,500. Community contributions received this year to help fund free Wednesday admission to the museum totaled $5,350.

Additionally, $7,500 was earned from last Saturday’s Hops & Crops Brew Festival.

A total of $52,875 in grants awarded in the past four months include:

• $22,465 from King Conservation District’s Jurisdictional program to construct livestock paddocks and conduct educational programs at the farm.

• $15,000 from 4Culture’s Site Specific Arts Program for the interactive theater production, “Gentleman Desperado”. The play will be performed at the farm on Sept. 29-30, and Oct. 6-7, with performances at 1:15 and 2:45 p.m., Tickets are available at wrvmuseum.org.

• $6,900 from 4Culture for interpretive panels at the farm.

• $3,900 from 4Culture to develop standards of care and purchase environmental monitoring devices for artifacts housed at the farm.

• $2,610 rebate from Puget Sound Energy for efficient lighting alternatives at the museum.

• $1,500 resulting from a Kickstarter.com campaign to sponsor the current exhibit Stills in the Hills, Homebrewed Hooch in the Age of Prohibition.

• $500 from Heritage Distilling to help sponsor Stills in the Hills.

Free Wednesday contributions totaling $5,350 have been made by these generous donors:

• $1,500: US Bank Foundation, sponsoring three months of free Wednesdays

• $500 from each of these contributors, providing for one month of free Wednesdays: Columbia Bank, Scarff Motors, Soroptimist International of Auburn, Valley Bank Auburn Branch.

• $150 from each of these contributors, providing for one free Wednesday: Dr. Kim Anardi, Paul and Mary Hosoda, Stuart Rich, DDS, Richardson Well Drilling, Rottles Department Store, Sons of Italy, Auburn, No. 1955, Dr. Heather Woloshyn.

Profit from the Hops & Crops Brew Festival at the farm topped $7,500, not quite twice the amount of last year’s income. These monies will be used for continued care and restoration of the historic farm.