The WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium has just extended its community outreach program with a transformative gift from the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation.
At the WAVE Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year, Nauti Nite, The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation announced their donation of $45,000 for a second Mercedes Sprinter vehicle for the WAVE Foundation’s community outreach program.
Dan Dunlap, Education Curator for WAVE Foundation;
Don Paparella, Managing Partner Mercedes Benz of Ft. Mitchell;
Ruth Kleete, Trustee of Elsa Sule Foundation;
Jerry Bailer, Board of Directors of Elsa Sule Foundation; Bridgett Kremer, Grants Manager of Elsa Sule Foundation;
Frank Hicks, Board of Directors of Elsa Sule Foundation;
Dan Tilley, Sprinter Brand Manager, Mercedes Benz of Ft. Mitchell (Photo provided)
“This donation effectively doubles our capacity to impact our community,” said Executive Director of the WAVE Foundation Scott Wingate. “We are absolutely thrilled to have such a strong community partner in the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation. They truly understand how WAVE can impact our community. We are well on our way to inspiring over 100,000 community members through the generosity of the Elsa Sue Foundation.”
The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation is a Charitable Trust established in 2004 by Elsa Sule, a native of Northern Kentucky. It is a philanthropic foundation that makes grants to private nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
The WAVE Foundation was able to purchase their first vehicle and the Shark Cart, a traveling aquarium, thanks to a donation from the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation. The organization was also able to to create an educational outreach program called WAVE on Wheels.
WAVE on Wheels allows the WAVE Foundation to extend Newport Aquarium’s footprint and influence through educational outreach programs.
“We teach that wildlife conservation is not a wildlife problem, it is a people problem,” said Wingate. “At WAVE we believe in order to solve this problem, we must teach kids to love wildlife before we ask them to save wildlife.”
Students and community members who aren’t able to visit the Aquarium on their own now have the opportunity to be inspired by its wildlife at their schools, community events, senior centers and daycares.
