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All posts categorized “Stories of Giving” (23)
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,…
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…
A Pathway to the “A-Ha!” Moment
Years ago, when visiting his daughter in Chicago, Dale Atkinson often made a side trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden and thought it would be nice if Grand Rapids had a place like…
Choosing a Pathway to Help Others
When Cheryl and Steve Wonch re-wind the story of their lives, the tape settles on a time and place from nearly four decades ago, revealing a preschool in need. “Our kids were…
A Pathway to Personal Enrichment
It was love at first sight. At very first sight, in fact - not only was she among the first visitors when Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened in April 1995, Valerie…
Pathway to Solace, Joy and Inspiration
Get lost in Meijer Gardens! That’s the humble advice of Glen Johnson, who speaks with uncommon eloquence and a clear passion about the fixed objects of art that inhabit the…
Fred Meijer Remembered
Among his many gifts to his community and the world, Fred Meijer likely will be remembered for creating the Gardens and Sculpture Park bearing his name. Less well known, but…
The Beauty She Cultivated Grows and Blooms Forever
Wherever she went, Connie Snell spread beauty. “She venerated the beauty that flowers could bring to the neighborhood, to our community,” her husband, Hilary Snell,…
Harvey Lemmen on Gift Annuities
In the Grand Atrium of the Grand Room, a small plaque says a lot about a modest man and long-time benefactor of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. When he donated money…
Kapteyn Family–Good Example of Multi-Generational Giving
C. Thomas and Evelyne Kapteyn have been involved with the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park from its beginnings. “When it was being built, I bought a brick with my wife’s…