Flint Hills commits $150,000 to museum partnership

Submitted by Kerynn Fisher
Phone: (907) 474-6941
06/09/05

A $150,000 donation from Flint Hills Resources Alaska launches a four-year partnership with the University of Alaska Museum of the North, making the company the corporate sponsor for the museum’s popular school tour programs through the 2008-2009 school year and for the museum’s earth sciences lab, one of 10 key research laboratories in the expanded museum.

Allen Lasater, president of Flint Hills Resources Alaska, presented the museum with a $75,000 check today. Jeff Cook, director of external affairs for Flint Hills Resources Alaska, accompanied Lasater at the presentation. Flint Hills Resources will contribute an additional $25,000 per year for the next three years.

"This museum offers outstanding educational and cultural benefits to Alaskans as well as visitors to Alaska," Lasater said. "Flint Hills Resources Alaska is pleased to support this expansion and aid the museum in its efforts to showcase everything from Alaska Native arts to the birds of this beautiful state."

"With programs that serve elementary school students to senior citizens, the museum represents the spectrum of lifelong learning opportunities at UAF," said UAF Chancellor Steve Jones. "We’re grateful to Flint Hills for continued support of the university and the programs that serve such diverse audiences."

Museum director Aldona Jonaitis added that the timing of the gift is perfect. "We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our school tour programs during the 2005-06 school year and we have some terrific educational programs in store for the expanded museum." She went on to note, "We’re building on a long tradition of school programs that complement in-class lessons. In addition to the new technology and exhibits in the expanded museum, we’ll have two special exhibits to share with school groups--the Hubble exhibit and an exhibit on American Impressionist art on loan from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s a blockbuster, the first of its kind for Fairbanks, and I’m really excited about the school programs we’re developing to go with it."

Each year, approximately 60 percent of Fairbanks area elementary school students tour the museum as part of the museum’s school tour program, a number that is sure to grow with the opening of the museum’s new wing. The tours are also the motivation for many of these students to pursue education in the sciences.

In addition to Flint Hills, the museum’s 2005 corporate partners include Denali State Bank, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friends of the UA Museum, Holland America Line, KTVF/Channel 11, KUAC/Alaska One, The Usibelli Foundation, Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Wells Fargo. Prior to Flint Hills’ commitment, this year’s corporate partners program had raised more than $200,000 for the museum’s education, research and outreach programs. With state funding providing less than 30 percent of the museum’s income now coming from the state, support from the museum’s membership and corporate partner programs provide critical funding for the museum’s programs and operations.

Work on the museum’s new wing and renovations to the original building continue this summer, with plans in the works for a September 10 ribbon cutting ceremony and community open house to celebrate the expansion project. Grand opening festivities will continue through the fall and winter to highlight various aspects of the expanded museum. For an updated list of programs and events, please visit the museum online at http://www.uaf.edu/museum.

Contact: Kerynn Fisher, communications coordinator, University of Alaska Museum of the North, at (907) 474-6941 or (907) 378-2559, or Jeff Cook, director of external affairs, Flint Hills Resources Alaska, at (907) 488-5104.

Note to news directors and editors: A high-resolution images of the check presentation is available for download at http://www.uaf.edu/files/news/download/releasephotos/05/0506uamn_fhr.jpg.