Goodwill Donates Rare Butterfly Collection
Agency Turns Over Historic Pieces of a $10,000 Series to the Academy of Science of St. Louis
August 13, 2009 - St. Louis, Mo. A ceremony is scheduled for August 14, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. at The Academy of Science of St. Louis, during which Goodwill will pass on a rare butterfly and moth collection to the Academy.
Having the chance to discover a treasure like this is exactly what makes shopping at Goodwill an adventure. An alert employee sorting through boxes in the warehouse had a sense he had come across something you just don't find everyday. Mark Kahrs, Goodwill retail Vice-President, immediately began a search to assess its worth. "In this case, we knew we had something that needed to be part of public display," he said. Goodwill contacted the Academy of Science. They assured us our instincts were right on target. "Museum quality finds definitely belong in a museum," he added. "Finding valuable paintings or collectables is not all that unusual for Goodwill. Unless they recognize the name of the artist, lots of people don't realize the pieces that have been sitting in their family attics collecting dust may be rare, so they unknowingly donate them. But finding this historic collection is unusual and exciting, even for us."
The series with which these rare butterflies and moths belong appraises around $10,000. Goodwill is confident The Academy of Science of St. Louis will value the exquisite collection. "I am honored to accept this gift on behalf of The Academy of Science of St. Louis. We sincerely appreciate Goodwill's kind gesture and we are pleased to present them with a small token of that appreciation, as well. We are happy to make this contribution not only because of Goodwill's gift, but because of all they do for our communities," says Executive Director of The Academy of Science of St. Louis, Mary Burke. The butterfly and moth assortment traces back as late as the 1950s and the Academy is thrilled to display a set with such a rich sense of history and scientific merit.
MERS/Goodwill is a non-profit agency that provides for the vocational needs of individuals who have barriers to employment through disability or economic disadvantage. It operates 33 rehabilitation centers serving more than 50 counties in the bi-state region. Revenue from 40 Goodwill stores assists with funding MERS/Goodwill job training and employment services. For more information on MERS/Goodwill career training and placement services, contact Jolie Boeger at (314) 241-3464, or visit the website www.mersgoodwill.org.
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