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For additional information contact: Sprague Energy Andy Lynch Manager, Marketing Communications (603) 430-5348 alynch@spragueenergy.com
Sprague Energy Commits $250,000 to Children's Museum Capital Campaign "Cochecosystem" exhibit will tell the story of New Hampshire's mills and river ecosystem.
PORTSMOUTH, NH (July 11, 2007) - Sprague Energy, a leading energy wholesaler headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has committed $250,000 to launch the capital campaign for the Children's Museum. This fundraising campaign will allow the Children's Museum to step into its new role as the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in a new downtown Dover, New Hampshire location on the banks of the Cocheco River. After a ten year search to find the adequate space to accommodate the 90,000 visitors the Museum welcomes to its Portsmouth location each year, the Museum will soon start renovation of the Butterfield Gym building being provided by the City of Dover. The move will take place in early summer of 2008.
Sprague Energy is the first organization to announce its pledge to the campaign. Their $250,000 Leadership Gift is earmarked to fund a creative new exhibit focusing on the environment. The "Cochecosystem" exhibit will tell the story of New Hampshire's mills and river ecosystem. Sprague specifically identified this exhibit as it fits the company's ongoing commitment to environmental concerns, to children and their families and to its company roots in New Hampshire.
Sprague Energy, a company at the forefront of clean fuels development and the marketing and distribution of Biofuels, is a strong supporter of environmental issues, especially in relation to children. In 2005 the company received one of the first Environmental Protection Agency's Recognition Awards for Children's Environmental Health and in 2006 celebrated Earth Day by announcing a partnership with the Queens Clean Air Project and Clean Air Communities Program.
"Sprague Energy has a long standing commitment to both the environment and children's education," said John McClellan, Sprague Energy's President and CEO. "Our water-front locations give us a unique perspective on the environmental sensitivity and importance of the local bodies of water. As a member of the Piscataqua River Cooperative, Sprague is actively pursuing ways to help utilize these areas while preserving the delicate ecosystem."
McClellan continued, "Children's causes are very important as well to our organization. Sprague has long been involved in local, national and international children's causes and we are very proud to help the Museum continue their work educating New Hampshire's children and look forward to their long term success."
"This extremely generous contribution from Sprague to underwrite the Cochecosystem exhibit allows the Children's Museum to bring kids face to face with new, creative ways of learning about the environment," said Denise Doleac, Executive Director and Founder of the museum. "It is a joy to partner with visionary companies whose executives understand the value of museum experiences that open up new worlds to children and their families with learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom. "As our partner in the new exhibit, Sprague Energy leads our effort to enable the Children's Museum as a statewide institution to provide a much richer encounter to visitors. Their support will benefit everyone who visits the Museum, for generations to come."
About the Children's Museum (www.childrens-museum.org) The Children's Museum of New Hampshire will open in 2008 with triple the exhibit, performance and classroom space, enhanced amenities, fully accessible resources and new exhibits to complement old favorites that have informed and entertained the 1.3 million visitors the Children's Museum has welcomed since its founding 24 years ago. Museum funding comes from admissions and from corporate partners, members, individual donors and foundations who support the Museum's mission and accomplishments. These resources provide the solid financial footing that also allows the Museum to reach out to the under-served throughout the region. Winner of the Governor's Award for Cultural Access Leadership, the "Museum To You" program has brought free, interactive exhibits to 13 of New Hampshire's most under-served communities. Last fall, the NH Department of Education chose The Children's Museum of Portsmouth to lead its 21st Century Learner Program - designed to provide structured after-school activities for kids in at-risk schools throughout the state.
About Sprague Energy Founded in 1870 as a supplier of coal and oil, Sprague Energy Corp. has evolved into the Eastern Seaboard's leading resource for industrial, commercial, space heating and transportation fuels, as well as material handling services. Sprague distributes more than 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum products, 160 Bcf (billion cubic feet) of natural gas, and handles in excess of 3 million tons of bulk materials in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Sprague, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axel Johnson Inc., a member of the Axel Johnson Group of Stockholm, Sweden.
Please visit Sprague's web site at www.spragueenergy.com.
Media contacts: For the Children's Museum: Stephanie Seacord, sseacord@lemd.com, 603-772-1835 For Sprague Energy: Andy Lynch, ALynch@spragueenergy.com, 603-430-5348
