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IN THE NEWSFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Sallie Riggs NATIONAL MARINE LIFE CENTER RECEIVES $1 MILLION DONATION Bourne, MA . . . Today the Trustees of the National Marine Life Center (NMLC) announced that they have received a $1 million donation from Gratia "Topsy" Montgomery of South Dartmouth for the Center's capital campaign. The gift, a combination of cash and an irrevocable bequest, is the Center's largest gift to date and is a major milestone in fundraising. "I am proud to be part of the effort to save these endangered animals," said Mrs. Montgomery. "It is my pleasure to support the NMLC, but it is also my intention and hope that this gift will move others to give to the center." "We are thrilled to accept this wonderful gift, and especially so because it comes from such a role model and leader in the fields of science and philanthropy. We are honored to have Mrs. Montgomery's support," said Christine Duren, Assistant Director of NMLC. "I hope people will see that the center is much closer to its goal and that now more than ever their gifts, whether cash, stock or an estate gift, can make all the difference in the world . . . especially to the many stranded animals that need our help." A native of Manhattan New York, Mrs. Montgomery - known to most as Topsy, a childhood nickname she received from her father - used to come to New Bedford during summers where she spent much of her time at the beach digging for clams, and playing in the rocks. "I have been interested in marine biology and oceanography for many years," she said. The well-known philanthropist who has supported a number of marine-related organizations, such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, UMass-Dartmouth Marine Science Program, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum, is the granddaughter of the late mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart, and the daughter of the late Alan G. Rinehart, former editor and producer of Paramount Pictures. Mrs. Montgomery has been involved in fascinating projects and expeditions throughout her life, among them Operation Tektite, the Great Barrier Reef's Floating Symposium, the Explorer's Club, and one of the first voyages to Antarctica. She is an explorer, sailor, diver, angler and above all, a life-long student of the sea. She funded the Tai-Ping Foundation in the mid 1960s and is widely recognized for her long-standing interest in and support of education. The NMLC, a non-profit corporation, is in the middle of a capital campaign to develop and then operate a marine hospital capable of caring for dolphins, porpoises, small whales, seals and sea turtles, and a science/education center. The facility will provide medical care to stranded, sick and injured marine animals and prepare them for release back into the ocean. Currently, the NMLC has an interim facility for cold-stunned turtles and is caring for Eco, a 105 lb. loggerhead sea turtle. Eco's release is planned for early September. Fundraising for the NMLC is continuing. For more information or to donate, please call 508-743-9888 or visit the NMLC website at www.nmlc.org. |
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