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The Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park
Capital Campaign
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An Island in Time
Join your friends and neighbors in enriching our community.
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Programs & Activities
More than 101,000 visitors come each year to enjoy the beach, spend time with family and friends and participate in the ambitious and successful educational program of lectures, workshops and courses conducted by Rangers and volunteers.
Many of these visitors are schoolchildren, who come with classmates and teachers, to enrich their classroom experience.
The Nature Classroom Program curriculum is based on the Sunshine State Standards, Grade Level Expectations.
Habits & Habitats - Kindergarten to Second Grade Students
Plants Plus -
Third Grade Students
Organisms & Their Environment - Fourth Grade Students
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MacArthur Park is now in need of
more spacious and updated facilities. |
Due to the success of these educational and awareness programs, these programs overwhelm the Park’s current physical structures.. Built in 1989, the William T. Kirby Nature Center is the heart and hub of all organized activities; as usage has increased, its original size now limits the Park’s mission and effectiveness. The Park was created to accommodate a wide range of interests, and its very success has generated the need for more spacious and updated facilities.
A New Facility For Expanded Educational
Programs And Visitor Hospitality
Education Center
The Education Center will be used for a variety of educational activities and events. The Nature Classroom will be equipped to educate and excite the many school groups who visit the Park, with wet labs and equipment to accommodate forty students and instructors. The Education Center will also house the Research Library and the Discovery Lab.
Welcome Center
The new Welcome Center’s primary function is visitor hospitality; much of the floor space will accommodate the Friend’s gift shop, a main source of income for the Park. A spacious front porch will provide space to meet, eat or just relax.
 Nature Center
Structurally, the Nature Center will remain the same; the Gift Shop will move to the new Welcome Center to provide space for new exhibits and enhancements. The Sea Turtle Theater will receive an upgraded A-V system to better serve the educational needs of Park visitors.
Interpretive Displays
The most dramatic improvements inside the Nature Center are the new exhibits focusing on native Sea Turtles, a new 700-gallon The Reef exhibit, and the 300-gallon Mangrove Aquarium exhibit. The reptile, History of Munyon Island, and Native American exhibits will be enhanced and updated.
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The Friends of MacArthur
Beach State Park has a mission...and we need your help! |
The Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park has a mission of generating
supplemental resources to preserve, restore, and interpret the natural and
cultural assets of the Park for present and future generations. The Friends have
a wonderful record of financial support.
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The history of Capital Projects
includes, but is not limited to: |
| 1993 |
$20,000 |
Garage/Support Building |
Friends Support |
| 1994 |
$110,000 |
Amphitheater Project |
Friends Support
MacArthur Foundation |
| 1998 |
$9,000 |
Interpretive Signage |
Friends Support
Lost Tree Village Foundation |
| 1998 |
$200,000 |
Two Picnic Pavilions |
Friends Support
State of FL |
| 1999 |
$360,000 |
Estuary Boardwalk Replacement
Project |
Friends Support
State of FL
MacArthur Foundation
Retirement Research Found |
| 2000 |
$9,800 |
Two Storage Buildings |
Friends Support |
| 2001 |
$15,000 |
Visitor Playground |
Friends Support
State of FL |
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The Friends also provide
annual Park Support, funding equipment purchase, providing over $200,000
over the last 5 years alone: |
| 2002 |
$26,530 |
Computer Needs, Kayak Launch Materials |
| 2003 |
$38,447 |
Aquarium Maintenance/Repair, Computer Need |
| 2004 |
$42,311 |
Passenger Tram, Park Signage |
| 2005 |
$44,611 |
Passenger Tram, Utility Vehicle, Computer Needs |
| 2006 |
$55,440 |
Utility Vehicle, Ford Truck, Generators |
The Nature Foundation was founded, and funded, by the Friends to endow ongoing support of Park programs. The Nature Foundation was launched in 2002 with an initial transfer of $125,000 from the Friends.
How Can You Help?
The Friends leadership and Park management will administer the capital campaign,
An Island in Time. The $3.1 million campaign seeks donations and pledges payable over a 3-year period.
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Buy a
60/40 Raffle Ticket |
Support the Campaign by Buying a 60/40 Raffle Ticket.
Three Cash Prizes 1st: $20,000 | 2nd: $12,000 | 3rd: $8,000
[more info on the raffle] |
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| CONTRIBUTIONS MAY ALSO INCLUDE: |
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In-Kind Gifts: personal or
business property |
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Securities: stocks, bonds,
insurance policies, and promissory notes |
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Bequest or Testamentary Trust:
by provision of a will or by court order at the distribution of
estate assets following a donor's death |
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Real Property: real
estate, oil, mineral, and related rights |
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Matching Gifts: a gift
received from a company foundation, or other organization matching a
gift given previously to the Friends by an employee of the company,
foundation, or other organization
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Deferred Gifts: a
charitable contribution to the Friends made through bequest,
charitable trust, charitable gift annuity, life estate agreement, or
similar vehicle
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| Gifts may be
earmarked for a specific purpose, facility, or program. Naming and
recognition opportunities are available. |
The Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation to which contributions are tax deductible.
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