The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie From left, ICM Board of Directors’ President Lisa Martin, Elliot and Logan Beckett and Tammie Thompson stand together outside of the Dann Building, the future location of the Interact Children’s Museum.

ELKINS — The Interact Children’s Museum received a $5,000 donation as part of the museum’s new Founding 150 Campaign to raise money for its new location in downtown Elkins.

The $5,000 gift to the museum’s fundraising campaign was donated by Tammie Thompson to honor the memory of her husband, Rich Thompson.

On Monday, Thompson and two of the couple’s four grandchildren joined ICM Board of Directors’ President Lisa Martin outside of the museum’s future location to commemorate the donation. Thompson called Martin to announce the gift donation in December on the first day of the fundraising campaign, a release stated.

“The board and I are so grateful for the Thompson family’s wonderful gift to provide a foundation and strong future for the museum. Their commitment to children and families will strengthen our community, our historic downtown and visitors from throughout our region,” Martin said in the release announcing the donation.

“Tammie has been involved since almost our beginning and is one of the first donors to our Founding 150 campaign. It’s a great honor that she and her family have chosen to honor Rich’s memory in this way.”

Rich Thompson’s grandchildren, Gatlin and Jackson Swecker and Elliot and Logan Beckett, were a great light in his life, Tammie Thompson said. 

“He loved spending time with the boys and I know he would be thrilled to see this new community resource for early learning and discovery,” Thompson said in the release.

“We were married for 42 years and always supported education here, from volunteering in the classroom to providing scholarships to students from a multi-county area.

“Our family chose to make this gift in Rich’s memory because we believe in extra enrichment opportunities for kids.”

The Interact Children’s Museum’s Founding 150 Campaign invites families and businesses to provide lead gifts to help develop the museum’s first brick and mortar location at the historic Dann Building on the corner of Davis Avenue and Third Street. The campaign seeks donation gifts of $1,000 to $10,000 to provide a foundation for the new location. According to the release, donors will be recognized on a permanent display inside the museum.

New equipment, furniture and floor cushioning, as well as play areas, will be installed in the building. In addition, space will be set aside for hosting birthday parties and other fun events.

The campaign also will fund initial operating expenses to ensure long-term success. With high visibility from the Railyard and other key destinations in downtown Elkins, the museum will “provide creative learning opportunities to children of all ages,” the release states.

In September, the ICM Board of Directors signed a two-year lease with Seneca Mall LLC for use of the Dann Building. The location will “serve as the new home of Interact and give families from throughout the region a play to visit and enjoy,” an ICM release announcing the move stated. Since 2019, the Interact Children’s Museum has operated as a mobile museum.

The Dann Building is currently undergoing upgrades by Seneca Mall, LLC to provide new electrical, HVAC, accessible restrooms and other improvements for a bright and welcoming space for the community. Amber Kwasniewski of the Mills Group is providing design.

“Our name says it all. This will be a museum where children will interact with the exhibits — touch, play, climb, build — and the work is going so well,” Martin said. “We anticipate that the museum will be ready for its grand opening in late spring. The Founding 150 campaign is going well, too, and we appreciate the donations we are receiving every day from our wonderful community.

“The board and I hope that many more families will find it in their hearts to be one of the Founding 150 and open the doors to a fantastic new destination for children, young mothers, grandparents, and caretakers,” Martin said. “This is a one-time opportunity to be a Founding Family for the Interact Children’s Museum.”

For additional information about the museum or how to donate, visit interactchildrensmuseum.org or email Martin at interactmuseum@gmail.com.

Submitted photos
A donation to the Interact Children’s Museum has been made in memory of the late Rich Thompson.

Gatlin and Jackson Swecker