What if, by some trick of magic, every dollar you donated to help build the Museum of Redlands morphed into two dollars? $100 into $200? $1,000 into $2,000? That is exactly what will happen to donations made between July 1 and December 31, 2019. Generous MOR supporters, Clara Clem and Tim and Carol Rochford have presented a fundraising challenge: they will match all donations in this time period up to a total of 2 million dollars, resulting in $4 million.
Clara Clem, whose original gift of $1 million enabled the former Redlands Daily Facts building to become the MOR site, has joined with Tim and Carol Rochford, who purchased the adjoining lot on Brookside Avenue along with a major gift, to announce this matching challenge.
“Seven million dollars has been raised to date and the plans are 90% complete, so this matching effort will definitely move us far down the track to our goal,” said Steve Stockton, President of the Museum of Redlands. Through the generosity of many donors, large and small, MOR is close to beginning construction. “It is now much closer thanks to Clara, Tim and Carol,” said joint fund-raising chairs Linda Serros and Marilyn Solter.
“Carol and I believe in the importance of MOR to Redlands and are thrilled that we can continue to move toward that day when it opens for everyone,” said Rochford. “I am confident that others in the very near future will be stepping up to help match our commitment.”
“The Museum of Redlands is envisioned as this generation’s legacy gift to the future, much like A.K. Smiley Public Library, Kimberly Crest, the Lincoln Shrine, the Redlands Bowl, and many of the parks of Redlands that were gifts to all of us from those in the past. It is our opportunity to create a landmark for our time and it’s within our grasp,” remarked Nathan Gonzales, Archivist and Head of Special Collections at A.K. Smiley Public Library.
“Both the Rochfords and I want to make MOR a reality, sooner than later. We admire the design and are confident that MOR will be a magnificent addition to the cultural life of Redlands,” Clem states.
Please consider sending a significant check! Naming opportunities are available for major donors as well as planned video portraits to be made of major donors for posterity. To donate, please visit www.theMOR.org/donate, call (909) 798-7632, or send your contribution to PO Box 470, Redlands, CA 92373.