NAPLES, Florida (February 9, 2023) – The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (CMON) raised more than $1 million at its annual fundraising gala, Night at the Museum, to support the museum’s mission to provide an exciting, inspiring environment where children and their families play, learn, and dream together.
Nearly 300 guests attended CMON’s largest fundraising event of the year, chaired by Dena Rae Hancock and Rob Caito. This year’s event, “Saturday Night Fever,” featured live entertainment by Henry Byalikov and his dancers and ’70s tribute band The Disco Nights. An elevated food and wine experience was created by Atlanta-based celebrity Chef Philippe Haddad in collaboration with long-time museum supporter Crave Culinaire and Rebecca and Nancy Maddox from Three60 Market & Wine.
WINK News Anchors Lindsey Sablan and Corey Lazar emceed the event, which also included live and silent auctions that helped CMON surpass the $1 million threshold. During the event’s fund-a-need, guests generously donated more than $200,000 to help fund CMON’s EBT access-for-all program, which was launched in 2022 to give low-income families discounted access to the museum.
“CMON is about strengthening families,” said Jonathan Foerster, CMON’s Chief Executive Officer. “We want to make sure every child has the opportunity to explore the museum through play and thanks to our supporters, we exceeded our goal to fund at least 7,500 families with our access-for-all program.”
The event’s sponsors included Dena Rae Hancock and Rob Caito, Simone and Scott Lutgert, Paddock Chevrolet, Shera and Casey Askar, David and Dr. Alise Bartley, Bodine Perry, Corporate Valuation Services, Cummings & Lockwood, Nicole and Richard Galliford, GenesisCare, Ashley and Adam Gerry, Gulfshore Life, Jodie and Mark Montgomery, Naples Trust Company, and Nancy and Tom O’Neill. Underwriters for the event included B&I Contractors, Calleja Group at Morgan Stanley, Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A. and Vivienne and Brian Carr.
Next year’s Night at the Museum is scheduled for Saturday, February 10, 2024. For more information about underwriting and sponsorship opportunities, contact Laura Richardson Bright at 239-260-1604 or lbright@cmon.org.
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About the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is a brain-building powerhouse and Southwest Florida’s first museum devoted for children and families to learn through play. With hands-on exhibit galleries, the accessible museum invites visitors of all ages to journey through the swamps of the Everglades, weave through a maze, climb a two-story banyan tree, or experiment with the water play station. Children can become a weather forecaster, a farmer, a chef, a fisherman, an artist, an architect, or a veterinarian; explore the cold of an igloo, the whoosh of the wind, the sound of the sea, and the effects of gravity. Throughout the day special activities encourage our guests to get involved, try something new and be energized. CMON offers a variety of interactive exhibits providing kids with education, play, learning, science, technology, engineering, inventions, space exploration, art, math, storybooks, creation, building, sensory, and child development.
Connect with us:
Facebook: @childrensmuseumofnaples
Instagram: @childrensmuseumofnaples
For more information about Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, or to make a contribution, visit www.cmon.org or call 239-260-1604.
Contact: Laura Bright
Chief Advancement Officer
Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
239-260-1604 | lrbright@cmon.org
