Garden gets greener

Amazeum celebrates

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, with Judy and Jay McDonald as honorary event chairmen, welcomed more than 500 backers to the 22nd annual Greening of the Garden May 9 at the garden in Fayetteville.

The benefit garnered additional green for the garden in the form of $90,000 to help the nonprofit organization fulfill its mission: Learn. Play. Grow.

The garden sees more than 14,000 schoolchildren each year through field trips, and classes and programs about wild plants, animals in the garden and other garden-related topics.

Adult classes and workshops have covered such topics as mushroom cultivation, photography, qi gong, sustainability, rain barrels and propagation.

Next up at the garden is the 10th annual Art & Cocktails in the Garden on June 13.

Among those helping the garden get greener were Linda and Bob McMath, Terrye and Patric Brosh, Bill Schwab, Hannah and Greg Lee, Karolyn and Don Farrell, Laura and Craig Underwood, Brenda and Hugh Kincaid, Cynthia Coughlin, Don Deweese, Elaine and David Longer and Kerri and Bart Vollmer.

The inaugural UnGala: [Outrageous] Night at the Scott Family Amazeum benefit May 12 at the museum in Bentonville drew some 275 adults for an evening at the children’s museum.

The fundraiser included walking on an oobleck pool, hot air balloon rides, drinks in Jolly Rancher shot glasses, a dance party and Kevin Delaney, host of Street Science on the Science Channel.

The museum’s Unfield Trips, traveling exhibits and other offerings are enjoyed by more than 225,000 children and adults annually. Amazeum for All passes and Priceless Nights where patrons donate the amount they wish for admission help make the museum

accessible for more people.

Weekly summer camps covering a number of subjects for children 6 to 16 years old will be held at the museum in June and July.

Next up for adults at the museum is Amazeum on the Rocks: OFFBEAT ART on Friday evening where guests can participate in light drawing, candy sculpting and lightening paintings.

Those enjoying the UnGala included Greg Foran, honorary chairman, Elda and Eric Scott, Gisel and Mike Ruiz, Laura and Greg Fogle, Kristen and Barry Cobbs, Bob Arvin, Alan Dranow, Jen and James Beck, M.J. and Craig Rivaldo, Meredith Lowry, Julie Brown and Eric Berger.

For more event photos — nwadg.com/photos/society.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Linda McMath, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks board president (from left), Jay and Judy McDonald, honorary Greening of the Garden chairmen, Charlotte Taylor, executive director, and Tim Hudson welcome guests to the fundraiser May 9 at the garden in...

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Barry and Kristen Cobbs (from left) and Greg and Laura Fogle attend the UnGala at the Amazeum.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Hugh and Brenda Kincaid (from left) and Laura and Craig Underwood enjoy the Greening of the Garden.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Jessica Bullifent (from left), Mike Brunner, Dave Bullifent and Sara Widmer help support the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks on May 9.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Mike and Gisel Ruiz (from left) and Eric and Elda Scott enjoy the Un-Gala at the Amazeum on May 12.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Daniel Jones (from left), Felipe Diaz, Dawn James, Spencer Wicker, Laurel McCabe and Candace McCabe help out at the Greening of the Garden.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Alan Dranow (from left), James and Jen Beck and Shannon and Randy Dixon gather at the Amazeum UnGala.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Greg Foran, UnGala honorary chairman (left), and Bob Arvin visit at the Amazeum fundraiser May 12 in Bentonville.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CARIN SCHOPPMEYER Volunteers Anita Backus (from left), Gayle Howard, Peg Konert, Kathy Launder, Joanne Olszewski and Phyllis Wilkins welcome guests to Greening of the Garden.