Articles

All posts categorized “Stories of Giving” (31)

July 20, 2021
|

The De Boers

For Bob and Lois De Boer, it’s not just the sculpture and the gardens that entice. It’s the stories behind each and every attraction. This savvy couple in their 90s have a better…

July 20, 2021
|

The Nelsons

Some of us are fortunate enough to have a place of refuge – an escape that allows the worries of the world to abate or even evaporate, if only for awhile. For Jim Nelson, that…

February 5, 2020
|

The Johnsons

It takes the better part of 12 hours to drive from Crewe, Va. to Grand Rapids. But what makes the trip especially worthwhile for Crewe residents Chuck and Linda Johnson is knowing…

February 5, 2020
|

The Boers

“Whoa! That’s in West Michigan?!” And Bill Boer answers with a nod. “It sure is.” Bill and his wife, Laurie, love sharing that sort of reaction from people they meet while…

July 1, 2019
|

The Trowbridges

On the surface, it might not appear there’s much in common between Rotary Clubs and Meijer Gardens and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation. But if you were to…

July 1, 2019
|

The Eckerts

When it comes to chronicling the ways in which Chris and Deanna Eckert have contributed to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation and the Gardens the big question is…

July 1, 2019
|

The Juliens

In a somewhat whimsical way, one special couple in our midst gives back to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and its Foundation in what you might describe as “The Key…

August 13, 2018
|

Building with a Heart for Others

For Ken Terpstra and Ken Bandstra, the secret to the success of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is that it “keeps moving forward” “I was on a college board in…

August 13, 2018
|

Building Dreams as a Team

Some things were just meant to be – like Mary Vonk and David Mapes meeting – of all places – at a Meijer store. Today, Dave and Mary Mapes have been married nearly 30 years,…

August 13, 2018
|

Building to Preserve a Legacy

David Grant Dvorak M.D. and Karol J. Peterson live across from one another on Gull Lake, a 10-minute drive by car, or a 5-minute jaunt by boat. But when this couple wants to…