For immediate release
Fernbank Museum to Host 2024 Fundraiser, “A Timeless Affair”
Annual Atlanta Gala Raises Funds to Inspire and Educate
(August 12, 2024) Atlanta, GA — Fernbank Museum will host its annual fundraising gala, “A Timeless Affair” on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. This evening will highlight Fernbank’s fascinating new exhibit, “Armored Animals,” and raise funds to support Fernbank in presenting world-class exhibitions, impressive giant screen movies, enriching family activities and immersive nature programs.
The event will feature a sunset cocktail hour on Fernbank’s Dinosaur Plaza, a seated dinner among the dinosaurs in the Great Hall, live music and dancing, and a private viewing of the special exhibit, “Armored Animals,” which explores the last 500 million years of armor evolution. Guests will have the chance to participate in a silent auction showcasing exclusive items generously donated by local businesses and supporters, and a paddle raise, which helps support scholarships for student field trips. More than 50,000 students throughout the state will visit Fernbank on a school fieldtrip each year, made possible, in part, by the success of A Timeless Affair.
“The annual gala plays an important role at Fernbank each year as it helps fund programming for the museum, allowing Fernbank to spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of human history and the planet's rich biodiversity,” said Jennifer Grant Warner, President and CEO of Fernbank. “The funds from this event help bring innovative exhibits, dynamic programs, captivating films and essential school programs to our community.”
This year’s honorary chair is philanthropist Margaret Hodgson Ellis Langford, whose dedication to Fernbank continues her family’s environmental legacy. Langford’s mother grew up in a house located in Fernbank Forest, which the Hodgson family, alongside Atlanta civic leaders, had the remarkable foresight to preserve as “a school in the woods for nature studies.” Established as a nonprofit in 1939--one of the oldest conservation-focused nonprofits in the United States--Fernbank has continued to preserve and restore the 65 acres of old-growth forest as part of its ongoing mission.
Event Chairs Robin and Neale Fisher, Stewart and Crawford Jones, and Mary Clancy and Kevin Peak generously support Fernbank’s mission to ignite a passion for science, nature and human culture through exploration and discovery. The Planning Committee includes Corporate Chair Wab Kadaba, as well as Patron Chairs, Stacy and Sachin Shailendra. Additional thanks goes to our Scholarship Chairs, Elizabeth and Shane Hornbuckle and Cherie and Ed Van Winkle.
Signature sponsors include Delta Air Lines, Georgia Natural Gas and Romanoff Renovations.
For more information, visit FernbankMuseum.org/ATimelessAffair.
Fernbank’s fall exhibit, “Armored Animals,” is on view from Oct. 5, 2024, to Jan. 8, 2025.
Armored Animals is designed and developed by Gaston Design and sponsored locally in part by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
###
Media Contact:
Jena Allison | Communications Manager
jena.allison@fernbankmuseum.org
A Timeless Affair Contact:
Eloise Oliveira | Development and Membership Coordinator
Eloise.Oliveira@fernbankmuseum.org
ABOUT FERNBANK
Fernbank is one of the most popular and iconic cultural destinations in Atlanta. Known as Atlanta's Science and Nature Experience, Fernbank invites guests to discover a World of Wow through an expansive natural history museum, 4-story giant screen theater, and 75 acres of nature adventures in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest. One of the oldest not-for-profit conservation organizations in the country, Fernbank was founded in 1939 to preserve Fernbank Forest, the largest urban, old growth, Piedmont forest in the United States. The museum and giant screen theater opened as "a school in the woods for nature studies" on Oct. 5, 1992, and is today known for its giant dinosaurs, hands-on STEAM* programming, immersive experiences, and year-round nature exploration. Visit fernbankmuseum.org for more information and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok.
*Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
Fernbank is a nonprofit natural history museum, giant screen theater and old-growth forest, and is not affiliated with Fernbank Science Center, which operates as a division of DeKalb County Schools.
