Press Release: September 2, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:Carol Harmon
The Columbus Foundation
614/251-4000 x 113

THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
2009 PHILANTHROPY AWARD WINNERS

COLUMBUS, Ohio (September 2, 2009)—The Columbus Foundation presented two prestigious annual awards during events to celebrate the Foundation’s annual meeting on Wednesday, September 2. Al and Barbara Siemer were awarded the Harrison M. Sayre Award, and local nonprofit Franklin Park Conservatory was presented with The Columbus Foundation Award.

Al and Barbara Siemer were awarded the prestigious Harrison M. Sayre Award for their commitment and dedication to supporting education and improving the lives of children throughout central Ohio. The Harrison M. Sayre Award is given in honor of The Columbus Foundation’s founder and volunteer director, and recognizes outstanding philanthropic leadership in central Ohio.

The Siemers, owners of Desco Corporation and Desco Capital Partners, established their supporting foundation with The Columbus Foundation in 1997. They actively support various central Ohio organizations, including United Way of Central Ohio, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Metropolitan Library, and I KNOW I CAN, where Barbara has served as a board member for more than 20 years.

The family is using its foundation to tackle student mobility, a growing problem in schools that directly impacts the learning achievements of children. Their Family Stability Program offers counseling, guidance and financial support to families in need, with the goal of keeping them in one place so their children can remain in one school as opposed to jumping from one school to the next.   

As recipients of The Columbus Foundation Award, Franklin Park Conservatory received a $25,000 grant. The award is given annually to an organization that has made a difference in our community.

Built in 1895, Franklin Park Conservatory is a premier horticultural institution, showcasing 400 species of plants, stunning botanical gardens, and impressive floral displays. Each year, more than 30,000 school children from around the state visit the Conservatory to learn about science, plants, and art. The 88-acre park has become a utopia for residents who use the space to walk, bicycle, and relax.

Over the past two decades the Conservatory has experienced a tremendous amount of growth. This year, a new four-acre Community Garden Campus on the southeast corner of the park will be unveiled. The new campus will include an education pavilion, community garden center, live fire cooking theater, and 30 garden vignettes.

Growing to Green, an outreach program committed to helping people in the community start community gardens, was established in 2000. By partnering with the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and The Columbus Foundation’s Green Fund, the program has helped start more than 150 community gardens and green projects throughout the community.

In addition to the awards, the Foundation celebrated numerous achievements for 2008. PowerPhilanthropy, the online resource connecting donors and the public with information about more than 450 area nonprofit organizations, was named one of the Top Ten Most Innovative Ideas in 2008 by Washington DC-based Community Wealth Ventures. Nearly $99 million was awarded in grants in 2008 and 95 new funds were created.

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