MEMBER PROFILE Liz Fischer As a family with three children under four years old, Colin and I are so thankful for our Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park membership. I stay at home with our kids and we regularly take advantage of what Meijer Gardens has to offer. It’s a perfect place to get us out of the house on the weekdays or enjoy time as a family on the weekends or vacations. I even go to Meijer Gardens to meet up with friends, kid-free. There are countless ways for us to enjoy Meijer Gardens. Of course, we can’t get enough of the butterflies in the spring. In the summer, we play in the Children’s Garden on the water tables and in the sand. When the weather is nice, my children cruise the boardwalk to spot all the frogs and wetland animals. In the fall we go to see the pumpkins and the Farm Garden. In the winter, my children are mesmerized by the train and the many Christmas trees. They could chase the train around for hours! Year-round, my children love exploring the flowers and plants. It has taken us 30 minutes to get into Meijer Gardens because my kids wanted to stop and see every flower on the pedestrian walk. We always make it to the conservatory to check out the beautiful flowers, waterfalls, plants and look for birds. The children’s room is the perfect place for my kids to interact with others and burn off some energy with large motor activities. The art galleries are beautiful and large enough for us to push a stroller through. Meijer Gardens makes it easy to introduce my children to the visual arts and all its forms. At the end of our trip to Meijer Gardens, my kids are so excited to pick up a snack or a cookie in the cafe, while I am excited to enjoy a coffee. We also really enjoy the special events like the Animal Adventures visit, Hallowee-ones, Tuesdays at the Farm in the fall, the Christmas parties and reindeer visits in the winter. In the summer, I have all the Children’s Garden events marked on my calendar! Lately, the expansion has been a main attraction— my kids love seeing what the workers are doing and how the big trucks work and move. My husband and I often talk about how we love having a membership because some days the kids can only handle 30 minutes, and it’s fine. Then the next time, we may stay for a couple hours and have a meal. Each year, it is an easy decision to renew our membership to Meijer Gardens. It makes my life as a stay-at-home mom easier, and encourages my children to learn, explore, and discover nature and art. My family uses Meijer Gardens to play, spend time together, meet with friends, and as a place to enjoy a kidfree date. Our family loves Meijer Gardens inside and out and in all seasons! 12
PHILANTHROPY/MEMBERSHIP
The Fischer family enjoying the Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse. Photo by Kirstin Volkening.
Photo by Tony Norkus.
Photo by Tony Norkus.
A TRUE TEAM EFFORT Guests of the 2019 Great Gardens Party were treated to a colorful and creative centerpiece that incorporated the event theme: How Does Your Garden Grow? When the planning team met to brainstorm ideas, one wild thought came up: What if we could make the dessert grow? The way this idea came to life is a true testament to the power of collaboration and teamwork. Wooden boxes were hand-crafted by the Maintenance Department from locally sourced lumber. Horticulturalists on staff researched and ordered the flowers and supplies. The Communications Department designed table signage to incorporate elements of the event theme and color scheme. Members of the Culinary Team conceptualized new recipes for mini-desserts and meticulously prepared and decorated their creations. A dedicated group of special events volunteers came together to assemble the boxes. These collective minds and hands worked hard to give guests a final product that was a treat to both the eyes and the taste buds. This year’s Great Gardens Party generated more than $260,000 in net proceeds to directly support the mission of Meijer Gardens. Please join us next year for the Great Gardens Party on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, to see what new ideas come to life through the collaborative efforts of the Meijer Gardens team.
