June 3 groundbreaking planned for Phase 1 of project
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has received a $1-million gift from Jean Weidner Goldstein toward the endowment of the master plan for the downtown Sarasota campus, Selby Gardens has announced.
Goldstein serves on the Gardens’ board of trustees and is a leadership donor and co-chair of the capital campaign, Innovating a Greener Future- Living Inspiration for The Living Museum®: The Campaign for Selby Gardens, a news release points out.
“Selby Gardens is an extraordinary garden of international stature, not only for its world-class collections, but for the Master Plan,” Goldstein said in the release. “The sustainability features of this Master Plan will solidify Selby Gardens as a leader in sustainability worldwide. Becoming the world’s first net positive botanical garden complex will ensure that Selby Gardens is an internationally-renowned cornerstone of sustainability for the generations to come,” she added in the release.
“We are incredibly grateful for Jean’s generosity,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president & CEO of Selby Gardens, in the release. “Jean is a devoted supporter of Selby Gardens. With this generous gift to our endowment, Jean is investing in the future of Selby Gardens. We are so fortunate to have her unwavering commitment,” Rominiecki added.
Goldstein’s late husband, Alfred R. Goldstein, provided a leadership gift for Phase I of the master plan to create a new arrival experience for visitors with the Jean Goldstein Welcome Center, the release notes.
To date, Selby Gardens has raised more than $35 million, or 80%, of the $42.5 million needed to implement Phase I of the master plan, the release adds. Selby Gardens will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 3, the release says.