2022 Thanksgiving Point Annual Report

Thanksgiving Point Annual Report

PRESIDENT AND CEO From the

Dear Friends,

Thank you for reading the 2022 annual report. I’m pleased to present the future of Thanksgiving Point – new development, new changes, and a heavier focus on great experiences. Our mission is to bring the joy of learning and wonders of the natural world to life, and this year, we made substantial strides to fulfill that mission. Our focus has created a new initiative we unveiled this year: Every Kid Counts.

The goal of Every Kid Counts is to bring hands-on science learning to the lives of economically disadvantaged kids in Utah. Under the Every Kid Counts program, there are three focuses: growing the Museums for All program, serving local nonprofits through partnerships, and providing free, hands-on education to kids all over the state. We want science learning to be accessible and available to every child in Utah, because we believe that every kid counts.

The Museums for All program provides discounted admission to families who receives SNAP or WIC benefits. Kids with families on these benefits can visit our discovery centers for free. Adults pay only $3 per person. When we started the program in 2019, we were averaging just a few hundred visitors per month who took advantage of the program. Now, we are averaging in the thousands – from March 2022 to February 2023, 72,836 guests visited our discovery centers through the Museums for All program.

In 2021, we initiated the partnership program that supports key nonprofits in Utah. In 2022, we expanded upon it and served 30 child-focused nonprofits. This program allows partners to utilize our venues for free in various capacities. Whether we are hosting Utah Foster Care children for a free evening in the Museum of Natural Curiosity or hosting a service project for United Way, we are happy to support and highlight all the good these nonprofits do for our community.

Thanksgiving Point educators have continued and expanded their efforts to provide free, hands-on learning to hundreds of schools throughout the state. This year, we established our first off-campus learning facility at the South Franklin Community Center. Every week, our education team visited the facility with all the materials, coursework, and lesson plans

“We love helping community members find a place where they can serve, grow, and learn.”

—McKay Christensen

needed to help serve children in the area with free science lessons. We have since added five additional outreach centers. We served nearly 33,000 children this year through community outreach.

Our 650+ team members and 700+ volunteers continue to make Thanksgiving Point the premier gathering place for families, groups, and organizations. In the 2022 fiscal year, nearly 1.2 million unique visitors attended an event, participated in a program, or visited a discovery center. Thanksgiving Point is one of the most frequented places to visit in Utah.

We continue to add more opportunities for curiosity, learning, and imagination. We have now finished construction on The Carousel at Thanksgiving Point, brought to us by partner and philanthropist Barbara Barrington Jones. We expect this state-of-the-art, hand-painted carousel to create adventures for kids and families alike for years to come.

Furthermore, our Curiosity Farms campaign is underway with a large percent of funds generously donated by the many of you who want Utah kids to discover the science of farming. This $20 million project will be more than a replacement of Farm Country - it will be an agricultural science center unlike any other in the country. Kids of all ages will learn where their food comes from, discover what it takes to be a farmer, learn the latest in agricultural technology and urban farming, and work closely with animals to learn about breeding science, production, hatchery tech, vet care, and so much more. The new renovation will allow for Curiosity Farms to operate year round. We expect this to open to the public in 2024.

This year, Thanksgiving Point once again received five Utah Best of State awards, including Best Entertainment Venue, Best Event/Performance Venue, Best Festival (Tulip Festival), Best Museum (Museum of Natural Curiosity), and Best Fine Dining (Harvest Restaurant). We also broke a Guinness World Record for Most Flower Bulbs Planted in One Hour by a Team. Over 100 volunteers and staff planted 41,089 bulbs, more than doubling the previous record.

As we look to the future, our vision is focused on providing kids with the best science learning centers in the state. We seek to continue growing our outreach by creating more off-campus learning centers and by enhancing our programming here. With every interaction to Thanksgiving Point, both in Lehi and around the state, we seek to enrich the lives of those in our community and get kids curious about science.

We are so grateful for your continued support of our efforts and look forward to welcoming you soon at Thanksgiving Point.

Sincerely,

McKay Christensen President & CEO

THANKSGIVING POINT Stories from

In 2022, nearly 1.2 million guests visited Thanksgiving Point to experience the wonders of the natural world together. Whether guests were smelling the flowers at the Tulip Festival, fluttering with the butterflies in the Entomology Lab, or warming up by a fire pit in Luminaria, they joined in on some of the best and most enriching experiences in Utah.

New this year, Dinosaur Island debuted at the Ashton Gardens. This three-month signature experience transformed the gardens into an ancient world, thrilling guests of all ages. A few facts about this brand-new event:

• Nearly thirty animatronic dinosaurs, from the 40-foot-tall Brachiosaurus to the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex, delighted guests.

• The dinosaurs were created by renowned paleontologist “Dino” Don Lessem, who was also a consultant on the 1997 movie Jurassic Park.

• The dinosaurs were made to look, sound, and move as they would have 60 million years ago.

• Themed activities and programs helped make the Ashton Gardens a different world. Young kids participated in dinosaur-themed free programs, like Melody Makers and Tales for Tots. Adults played Dungeons and Dinosaurs, the classic role-play game with a prehistoric twist. Families enjoyed the Outdoor Movie Series, where each week’s movie was adventure-themed.

• Thanksgiving Point debuted the Dino Dash 5k, an August early-morning run through the Ashton Gardens.

• Nearly 230,000 guests enjoyed this Dinosaur Island, creating Thanksgiving Point’s busiest summer to date.

Thanksgiving Point also launched the Every Kid Counts initiative, a three-pillar service-focused aspect of the organization. The three pillars include:

• Provide reduced admission for families in need: Children of families on SNAP or WIC benefits visit Thanksgiving Point for free and adults visit for a discounted price of $3. Over 100,000 people have utilized the admission program since its inception in 2019, with nearly 73,000 of those visitors attending during the 2022 fiscal year.

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• Partner with local nonprofits: 30 nonprofits with kid-centric missions have partnered with Thanksgiving Point. These partners are able to host events at Thanksgiving Point free of charge to help fundraise, create awareness, or support their members.

• Establish science outreach centers throughout the state: Hands-on science learning teams visit economically disadvantaged schools and community centers throughout Utah to provide STEM instruction.

Every time I visit one I SEE MY CHILD’S EYES LIGHT UP and feel grateful that we have such a fantastic resource close by. Most recently we visited the butterfly museum and I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE.”

S., Guest

“I LOVE THANKSGIVING POINT AND THEIR MUSEUMS.

Left: Artist paints in the Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life. Mountain Museum of Ancient Life, March 2022

Above: Students examine butterfly chrysalis at the Exploring Entomology Day Camp Butterfly Biosphere, July, 2022

Every Kid Counts also includes efforts to improve the community, like expanding outreach to Title I schools and underprivileged areas across the state. The third and eighth-grade classroom experiences, Exploring Lifecycles and Curiosity in the Classroom, served over 20,000 students all over Utah. Thanksgiving Point also partnered with United Way to create the first off-site learning center. Educators from Thanksgiving Point bring all supplies and lesson plans once per week to teach hands-on science courses. Over 5,000 kids participated in outreach workshops and classes.

Each year, Thanksgiving Point grows its programs and offers new opportunities for kids and families to explore the natural world. It is a place for families to grow, visit, dine, and play together. Thanksgiving Point is grateful to be a part of this incredible community.

Below Left: A Team member helps a guest learn about different types of pollinators during the Pollinator Power event. Butterfly Biosphere, June 24, 2022

Below Right: Guests stop at a reading tent during the Fairy Tale Festival. Ashton Gardens, June 17, 2022

FINANCIALS By the numbers:

$35,970,099 INCOME

(Less Capital Campaign)

82.92% EARNED INCOME (Memberships, Restaurants, Catering, Retail, Rentals, Events, and Admission Fees)

4.93% GOVERNMENT (Grants)

12.69% COMMUNITY SUPPORT (Sponsorships, and Corporate, Individual, and Foundation Support)

$27,795,940 EXPENSES

(Does not include depreciation) 5.49%

$23,470,174 Program Costs

TOTAL EXPENSES

“I love Thanksgiving Point’s emphasis on WHOLESOME FAMILY ACTIVITES that encourage the entire family to interact together and BUILD WONDERFUL MEMORIES.”

Below: Each summer, hundreds of curious kids visit Thanksgiving Point to attend carefully designed camps and classes Museum of Natural Curiosity, June 18, 2021

The First Outreach Facility:

SOUTH FRANKLIN COMMUNITY CENTER

In October 2022, Thanksgiving Point partnered with United Way to bring regular STEM curriculum to the South Franklin Community Center in Provo, Utah. Thanksgiving Point educators would visit the South Franklin Community Center once per week, bringing hands-on science learning to the participating kids and their families. With the first visit secured for October 4, Thanksgiving Point officially started its first weekly outreach partnership.

The curriculum at the location rotated between STEM concepts that Thanksgiving Point typically highlights at its discovery centers – paleontology, entomology, technology, engineering, and more were introduced to children in the South Franklin community. Each lesson would have a sit-down learning portion and an interactive project or activity, sometimes even with artifacts directly from our venues. As kids continued to learn about these topics and establish passions in specific areas of STEM, they began to tell their friends and family to come. During the first month, only 5-11 students were present for the outreach classes. By March of 2023, the classes were averaging 25-32 participants per class, not including older siblings or parents who would join the student in the learning process.

Thanksgiving Point provided valuable science learning to students who need it most. Students who came to Thanksgiving Point classes were predominately Hispanic/Latino in origin, likely attending a Title I school, and mainly of elementary age or younger. Research shows that kids in Title I schools are less likely to receive access to science labs and equipment, experience less hands-on learning, have teachers with little or no access to hands-on teaching materials, and experience less STEM literacy. By bringing science learning to the community of South Franklin, Thanksgiving Point is able to supplement what the students may not be receiving in school, creating passions they can pursue into adulthood.

Bottom Left: Guests learn through experience about the plaster cast making process during the Geology Rocks Event. Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life, August 2022

Bottom Middle: A guest rides The Carousel at Thanksgiving Point The Carousel, Summer 2023

Bottom Right: Dancers helped Thanksgiving Point guests learn about and celebrate Dia de Muertos. Show Barn, October 2022

A quilt made for the submitter’s late wife displaying in the Rose Garden during Garden of QuiltsAshton Gardens, September, 2022

Board of Board of

Alan and Karen Ashton Founders

Ruth Todd Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Nu Skin

TRUSTEES ADVISORS

Spencer Ashton System Engineer Harman-Management Corporation

Stephen Ashton, PhD.

Senior Director of Farm Country and Butterfly Biosphere

Dane Runia

Private Wealth Advisor, Merrill Lynch

Mark Wolfort

Founding Executive, General Counsel for doTERRA

Alan Ashton

Karen Ashton

Barbara Barrington Jones

Carla Smith

Carolee Weber

Chris Lee

Dane Runia

Dave Harkness

David Young

Don Stirling

Governor Gary R Herbert

Jason Walker

Kathie Horman

Kelly Ward

Larry Ellertson

Lee McCullough

Leslie Woodmansee

Mike Mellor

Ruth Todd

Scott McCullough

Shelli Gardner

Spencer Ashton

Stephen Ashton

Stan Lockhart

Steven McGhie

Susan Richards

Tony Child

Right: Paleontologist Rick Hunter teaching guest. Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life, March, 2022

CURIOSITY CLUB MEMBERS Thank you to our

Partners of Thanksgiving Point give generously to support our mission. We call this the Curiosity Club, because here at Thanksgiving Point, we help curious kids grow.

Platinum

Mountian America Credit Union

Gold

Dancing Moose Montessori School dōTERRA

Silver

Adobe

Gardener Company

JKS Legacy Foundation

Lehi City PARC

Nu Skin

Silicon Slopes

Built

Central Bank

Bronze

DigiCert, Inc.

Dominion Energy

Larry H. Miller Company

Larson & Company

Little Giant Ladders

The Miner Foundation

Morgan Stanley

MountainStar Healthcare

Sorenson Legacy Foundation

Tribe House

UCCU

Union Pacific Foundation

1-800 Contacts

97th Floor

BYU Athletics

CCBank

Dan & Sarah Burton

Dusty & Crystal Pyne

ERA Real Estate

FFKR Architects

Frontier Middle School

Gallagher & Co.

Jon Jenson

Kathie & Chuck Horman

The Lightweaver Foundation

Mike & Lori Petersen

KLAS Research

Oakdell Egg Farms

Sam & Mary Dunn

Swire Coca-cola

US Synthetic

Utah Broadband

Zions Bank

Okland Construction

Paychex

Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce

RBM Building Services

SalesRabbit

Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce

SYSCO

Texas Instruments

Tracy & Mindy Anderson

Visit Salt Lake

WC

MEMBERS Thank you to our

Thanksgiving Point is where curious kids grow. Thanksgiving Point members contribute annually through the purchase of annual property memberships for families, grandparents, individuals, and more.

A Thanksgiving Point membership supports:

• New and improved venues that highlight STEM learning

• The Every Kid Counts initiative

• Scholarships for underprivileged kids

• After-school programs, homeschool groups, field trips, and more

• The generosity of our members helps Thanksgiving Point bring the joy of learning and wonders of the natural world to life.

Right: Volunteer help break a world record by planting tulip bulbs Ashton Gardens, October, 2022