Ithaca Children’s Garden Honors Local Business Partners for Their Vital Support
PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Tori Chamberlin (she/her), Brand Partner Liaison
Email: tori@ithacachildrensgarden.org
Phone: 607-319-4203
Ithaca Children’s Garden Honors Local Business Partners for Their Vital Support
ITHACA, NY—August 28th, 2024—Ithaca Children’s Garden (ICG) proudly celebrates the critical support of their generous 2024 local business partners: CFCU, BorgWarner, Iron Design, Cayuga Landscape, The Home Depot, and Ithaca Agway.
These collaborations enable ICG to flourish as a beloved community hub, fostering outdoor learning and nature connections for children and families throughout Tompkins County.
Impactful Collaborations Fueling Community Growth
Thanks to the generous sponsorships from their partners, ICG can maintain and enhance key areas and events that are essential to their mission of connecting children with nature and ensuring that families from Tompkins County and beyond can enjoy a safe, engaging, and beautiful environment year-round.
“The support of our corporate partners helps us take care of things that can be hard to write grants for or fund otherwise — like maintaining the three-acre Garden. It’s a big job and takes resources, and at the end of the day, it is a core part of how ICG is able to stay open and free to serve the community every day of the year,” said Erin Marteal, Development Director and Interim Executive Director of ICG.
“Our business partners step up in a major way. Their contributions enable us to create and sustain innovative programs that directly impact children and families in our community, nurturing a lifelong appreciation for the natural world through authentic, experiential — and fun — engagement.”
Spotlight on ICG’s Valued Partners
Each partner brings unique strengths and resources to ICG, making their contributions invaluable. And many of ICG’s corporate partners have been supporting ICG for years.
Iron Design, a local creative brand company that has worked with the likes of Sesame Street, HotWheels, and Sony, has been a behind-the-scenes philanthropic all-star for ICG for almost 15 years. Iron Design has worked with ICG on everything from designing signs (and going above and beyond by installing them) to refreshing ICG’s logo and brand guidelines and designing their website. In addition to lending professional talents pro-bono to ICG, Iron’s Creative Director, Todd Edmonds, is a key member of ICG’s Interpretation Committee. Edmonds lends time, expertise, and talent on a regular basis through every season to help ensure ICG is communicating their message in the most effective way possible. Iron Design sponsors the whimsical Troll House at Ithaca Children’s Garden.
When asked what motivated Iron Design to partner with ICG, Edmonds said, “It is so valuable to have such a beautiful, welcoming resource for all of our community to explore and enjoy, where we are free to touch nature and remind us of how important it is to protect and respect our natural surroundings. Our support of ICG helps remind us of how important it is.”
CFCU is another crucial community partner who enables Ithaca Children’s Garden to remain open and accessible to all. With deep roots in the Finger Lakes Region, CFCU has aided ICG for years. In ICG’s early days, CFCU President and CEO Lisa Whitaker provided some key guidance for how ICG might improve the small organization’s financial operations. Since then, CFCU has remained a strong partner in numerous ways, from sponsoring ICG’s Tough Turtle 5k obstacle course and enlisting an entire team to participate to sponsoring Gaia and the Wetlands. For the past few years, CFCU’s support has helped ICG ensure Ithaca’s turtle giantess and surrounding habitat are well cared for through every season.
In reflecting recently on CFCU’s long-standing involvement with ICG, Sarah Tomei, CFCU’s VP of Finance, shared that “Transforming generations and communities. Simply. Personally. is our vision statement. That holds roots starting at the Children’s Garden and how we can make that connection at the beginning stages.” Jessica Rankin, CFCU’s Marketing Analyst, and Event Specialist added, “The children are the future of our communities, and the future of banking, so supporting them and their families is very important to us.”
BorgWarner is another key corporate partner who has generously supported ICG through events like Tough Turtle and sponsorship of the Garden’s Story Tree, support that enabled ICG to bring the four-season yurt to the Garden. The Story Tree is a gathering space in the Garden both for ICG’s summer camps and visitors looking for a place to rest and play in the shade and is the first outdoor gathering space that predates any built shelters in the Garden.
“One of BorgWarner’s beliefs is responsibility and that includes a responsibility to the communities where we live and work. By supporting the Ithaca Children’s Garden, we are investing in the children of the future, allowing them to connect with nature and the world” said Patty Wetherell, Philanthropic Coordinator.
Another all-star Garden Sponsor has been the Lane Family. The Lanes have supported ICG through sponsorship of the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone, a crowd favorite. The Anarchy Zone is a space that encourages children to learn from child-directed play and discovery. The Lanes began their support of the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone with ICG through Purity Ice Cream as a corporate sponsor, and after selling Purity Ice Cream in 2021, Bruce and Heather Lane continued as consistent supporters of ICG with annual sponsorship of the Anarchy Zone.
And it’s not just ICG’s Garden Sponsors who make a lasting impact. Partners such as Cayuga Landscape and Ithaca Agway have been longtime annual event sponsors. These two partners go above and beyond every year to help keep ICG’s community events as unique and festive as guests have come to expect and help to keep them free to all.
Cayuga Landscape Co. is a long-time supporter of ICG through sponsorship of ICG’s annual Scarecrow Jubilee every October, one of Ithaca’s signature community events that often attracts visitors from out of town during the fall season. The event has evolved and persisted because of the stalwart participation and support from Cayuga Landscape.
Ithaca Agway supports ICG’s International Mud Day celebration, held each June. They support the event by donating key materials like topsoil, straw, and other supplies that enable ICG to create the beloved Mud Zone.
The Home Depot of Ithaca has been a tremendous partner for ICG for more than 15 years. This year they participated in Mud Day with build kits. Their booth at the event was a highlight for eventgoers who loved having something special to take home with them as a souvenir. They also regularly donate seeds and plant materials to keep ICG’s community members growing veggies and herbs at home.
Why These Partners Believe in ICG’s Mission
ICG’s partners are not just sponsors but parents, caregivers, and community members who deeply believe in a greener, more inclusive future. Here’s what they have to say about their involvement with ICG:
What motivated your company to partner with ICG?
“I can say from my heart: I have a nine and 11-year-old that grew up at ICG- Saturday mornings rolling around in the tubes, birthday parties, camps. As a CFCU rep, I definitely share how important it is to our community and important to our children.” -Sarah Tomei, CFCU’s VP of Finance
“Not being from Ithaca, it’s a space that impacts my family very positively and many families at CFCU. It’s great that we can support children and their creativity while fostering an environment of welcoming children into a safe space.” -Cortney Lowie, Executive Manager at CFCU
How has your support of ICG benefited your company? Benefitted the community?
“[ICG] is a draw for prospective travelers here, which stimulates our economy and inspires people who may be deciding whether to move here. Having this wonderful place to bring families is an anchor that benefits all kinds of businesses and tourism.” -Sarah Tomei, CFCU’s VP of Finance
Why do you believe in ICG’s mission and how does it align with your personal or company’s values?
“The important programming and resources that the Children’s Garden provides for our community, and families in particular, is invaluable to keep connecting us all to nature. This aligns so well with Iron’s mission and vision of providing sustainable, natural connections to the land we live on.” -Todd Edmonds, Iron Design Creative Director.
Future Projects and Continued Impact
The tangible results of these partnerships are evident in the ability to launch and sustain key signature events like International Mud Day and Scarecrow Jubilee and to keep key Garden features — like Gaia, the Story Tree, and the Troll House thriving.
“Our sponsors’ support allows us to dream bigger and reach further,” says Marteal. “We are deeply grateful for their belief in ICG’s mission and their dedication to making a difference.”
Join ICG in supporting nature connection for more children.
ICG extends the invitation to other local businesses to join their network of partners. Interested parties can contact Erin Marteal, Development Director / Interim Executive Director, at giving@ithacachildrensgarden.org.
ICG is committed to ensuring every child has the basic human right to play, learn, and grow outdoors, fostering a lifelong relationship with the natural world.
Ithaca Children’s Garden is an award-winning public children’s garden free and open to all, every day of the year, dawn to dusk. ICG’s mission is to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards, and does so through authentic, hands-on, child-led engagement with the natural world.
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