Florida Hospital Donates a Two Million Dollar Transformational Gift to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
(PRWEB) July 25, 2014 -- Florida Hospital and MOSI officially announced a transformational partnership that will unite the two not-for-profit organizations for years to come and make a difference in the Tampa Bay community. Florida Hospital presented MOSI with a $2 million dollar check to provide the support needed to keep the science center moving forward. The investment will enable MOSI to transform the IMAX Dome Theatre from film to a state-of-the-art digital 3D projection system. MOSI has the only IMAX Dome Theatre in the state of Florida, and it is one of the first science centers across the country to convert a dome theater to a digital platform. This conversion is crucial in order for MOSI to continue bringing the Tampa Bay area IMAX DOME content, as film is becoming obsolete in the industry. MOSI will officially change the name to the Florida Hospital IMAX Dome Theatre.
“This partnership is the result of a strategic relationship that we have been building with Florida Hospital for over a year, and their transformational gift will help change the lives of millions of Florida residents. A relationship like this creates endless possibilities for the future of MOSI, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education and the Tampa Bay community,” said Molly Demeulenaere, MOSI Vice President of Growth. “By moving to a digital 3D format, we will be able to offer more movies that will attract additional and new visitors to MOSI which is an important revenue source that will help with the long-term sustainability of the museum.” In 1982, MOSI opened to the community and is now the largest science center in the Southeast and the 8th largest in the nation. It’s the only institution with the focus of experiential STEAM education in the Tampa Bay region. The two organizations are also creating a unique program called “Florida Hospital Presents Live SX," a first of its kind partnership between a hospital and a science center in the state of Florida. This program creates an interactive experience, where Florida Hospital surgeons will perform routine surgeries that will be broadcast live in MOSI's Coleman Science Works Theater for middle school, high school, and college students. This experience is designed to peak students' interest and helps guide them to the fastest growing segment of our economy, healthcare, in a friendly environment where they can ask questions.
“As a museum of science and industry, MOSI has the potential to be a model of new technology and innovation, and we believe this is the perfect investment in a highly valued community asset. Our hospitals use technology and innovation every day to elevate healthcare in the communities that we serve and we are committed to giving back to the Tampa Bay community. Our goal is to work together with MOSI so we can ultimately help inspire the next generation of health care providers,” said Mike Schultz, President and CEO of the Florida Hospital West Florida Region. "I would also encourage other community leaders to join us in supporting the future of MOSI, which is ultimately an investment in our community." MOSI has more than 450 hands-on activities and offers more than 300,000 square feet filled with interactive exhibits including Florida’s only IMAX DOME Theatre, now named the Florida Hospital IMAX Dome Theatre. The IMAX Dome image is 10 times larger than a conventional 35mm frame and three times larger than a standard 70mm frame. “The IMAX Dome Theatre is an impressive and significant experience for our visitors and has enabled us to take millions of our guests’ places they never dreamed possible – from the deepest part of the ocean to the outer reaches of space. We are so excited to be partnering with Florida Hospital to continue bringing amazing IMAX experiences to the Tampa Bay community,” said Wit Ostrenko, MOSI President and CEO.
The new partnership will focus on creating new programs, enhancing existing science education, and advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry and technology. Florida Hospital believes this relationship will provide life changing experiences for families and support young men and women considering careers in the field of medicine. Florida Hospital wholeheartedly supports MOSI’s core ideology: to make a difference in people’s lives by making science real for people of all ages and backgrounds… helping to nurture the future scientists and health professionals. “This is the beginning of a really exciting time for the future of MOSI, and as MOSI’s Chairman, I’m proud to be a part of this incredible institution. This partnership with Florida Hospital is a direct result of the new leadership in MOSI’s fundraising department and is a terrific indicator that MOSI is indeed headed in the right direction,” said Robert Thomas, MOSI’s Chairman of the Board.
About MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry)
MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) and is home to the only IMAX® DOME Theatre in the state of Florida. MOSI's core ideology is to make a difference in people's lives by making science real for people of all ages and backgrounds. MOSI gives away more than $3 million in free memberships each year, $250,000 in free tickets annually, and approximately 400 scholarships each year for children to attend MOSI Summer Science Camps. Additionally, MOSI’s education staff works closely with area teachers offering free training and support for area science educators. With a total size of more than 400,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States. Learn through play inside Kids In Charge! the largest Children’s Science Center in the nation or The Amazing You—a 13,000-square-foot exhibition on health and wellness. Conquer your fears on MOSI’s Sky Trail® Ropes Course and Zip Line. Budding inventors can engineer anything imaginable and hold it in the palm of their hand in MOSI’s technology playground and inventor’s studio, Idea Zone; and aspiring astronauts can travel to the moon to operate a lunar colony in Mission: Moonbase, funded in part by NASA. MOSI is the proud winner of the 2009 National Medal for Museums by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s highest honor for museums. For more information on MOSI, visit http://www.mosi.org.
About Florida Hospital West Florida Region
The Florida Hospital West Florida Region is a not-for-profit 1,257-bed hospital system composed of 9 hospitals including Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid and Florida Hospital Wauchula. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 23 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit http://www.FloridaHospital.com.
Jennifer McVan, Director of Media Relations, Florida Hospital West Florida Region, http://www.FHTampa.org, +1 (813) 373-9505, [email protected]
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