Greetings from the busy halls of the Tucson Children’s Museum!

With the holiday season upon us and the end of another year in sight, I want to take this opportunity to share some of the year’s exciting news from the Tucson Children’s Museum.  It has been very busy here at the Museum and I am delighted to announce that our attendance reflects this.  Sometime next month, and for the first time ever, the Tucson Children’s Museum will welcome our 100,000^th visitor.  This milestone is one we are very proud of and which reinforces the power of play and its relevance to healthy children and families in Southern Arizona.  In addition to increased attendance, the Museum is equally proud of our recent developments:

• • • • • • • * The installation of two new exhibits: Whistle Stop and Pet Vet
            • * Expanded programming with our Summer Camp series, Monsoon Monday Nights series
            • * Two new Adventure Learning Tours for groups (giving groups six different tour options) and
            • * Improvements to our facility that make the Tucson Children’s Museum safe, clean and fun!

The Tucson Children’s Museum adds value to our community as a resource for educational fun!

While our hands-on and interactive exhibits are play-based, there is also an educational component to each of our exhibits.  The Tucson Children’s Museum is committed to our role as an educational resource for the children in our community.  In 2010, the Museum’s Early Childhood Education programming will be expanded with the assistance of a Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services.

Here is what you can do to make a difference in the lives of our community’s children:

Your direct financial support is necessary to help ensure that children will continue to have the opportunity to learn and develop through the power of PLAY.  These are challenging economic times for many and the Museum is not immune.  The demand in our community for the service we provide is at an all time high and growing daily.  Simultaneously we are experiencing double digit declines in financial assistance from the City of Tucson, Pima County and the State of Arizona.  Your tax-deductible donation is greatly needed and I hope you will answer our call for assistance.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Luria

Executive Director