Dec. 10—Mosaic Life Care Foundation leaders achieved their goal of opening the Children’s Discovery Center debt-free.
A group within the foundation worked for nearly three years to cross the fundraising finish line, which ensures the Children’s Discovery Center will sustain itself in the coming years.
“We’ve just continued to have generous people come forward and say, ‘I want to be part of the Discovery Center, I want be a part of this legacy of creating a place that’s really dedicated to raising young families and young children,'” said Julie Gaddie, president of the Mosaic Life Care Foundation.
Exhibits inside the Center will feature local businesses, such as Lehr Construction and Lifeline Foods, highlighting their roles in the community.
President Gaddie showed appreciation for the skilled workers and engineers who brought sketches to life while building each exhibit.
“It’s a lot of fun to come in almost every day now and see the progress that they continue to make and really trying to congratulate (them) on an exceptional job turning this 100-year-old building now into what you see today,” Gaddie said. “It has been no small feat, and we are very appreciative of all the people who have worked on this.”
An indoor playset and slide sit on the first floor of the Children’s Discovery Center. Director Katherine Patterson-Paronto explained that the playset was built in Florida, and she was unsure whether it would arrive after Hurricane Helene hit the state, but it is ready for kids to enjoy on opening day.
The Children’s Discovery Center will host a soft opening from Dec. 20 — 22. Tickets for the soft opening can be purchased at inspireu.com for $12.
The Center will be hosting a grand opening celebration on Dec. 26. Tickets for the grand opening and following days can be purchased on the website for $10.
“The design work has just been unreal, and we cannot wait for St. Joe and our region to see it,” President Gaddie said.