Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention Receives $25,000 Donation from Adria Petty in Memory of Her Father Tom Petty

Gainesville, Fla. (October 20, 2022) –The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention is pleased to announce a generous donation from Adria Petty: American director, editor, art director, and daughter of Gainesville hometown hero Tom Petty.

The gift of $25,000 made in memory of musician Tom Petty will help fund Operation Full STEAM, an outreach project of the Cade Museum that aims to close achievement gaps for underserved elementary school students by providing experiences that foster creativity and development of an inventive mindset.
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“The Cade is run by special people who love and dedicate themselves to Gainesville and its youth”, says Petty. “It is essential for organizations like the Cade to get support and I am proud to be a small contributor to Phoebe Miles’ vision. As Gainesville grows it is community organizations like the Cade that will provide culture and education to the underserved. My dad loved his childhood here and he had two working parents. The community raised him. I hope to be an advocate to preserve and protect his “Dreamville”.

OFS is one of many outreach partnerships organized and led by the Cade Museum. This four-year project will serve 2nd through 5th grade students in Title I schools in Alachua County, Florida. In addition to increasing STEAM exposure, the project engages participants' parents and families with each family receiving a free yearly membership to the Cade. Ultimately, the project will cultivate greater interest in STEAM disciplines among students from culturally and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, inspire the pursuit of further education, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable innovation economy.  

“We are delighted and grateful to receive this impactful gift from Adria, notes Stephanie Bailes, President and CEO of the Cade Museum. “This generous donation will enable us to expand Operation Full Steam into two more underserved schools in our area. We look forward to future partnerships with Adria and are honored to be included in Tom Petty’s legacy of giving.”

About the Cade Museum
The mission of the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida, is to transform communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. Named after Mary Cade and her husband, Dr. James Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, the project was spearheaded by their daughter, Phoebe Cade Miles, and her husband, Richard Miles, since 2006. They encourage the development of innovation ecosystems through the Cade Prize for Innovation, the Cade's proprietary Innovation Education learning framework, and its hands-on learning museum designed to promote the development of an inventive mindset which the Cade calls Inventivity™. The Cade believes every person should have access to the right to invent and innovate inherent in the DNA of the United States and works diligently in outreach efforts to bring this understanding to all, with an emphasis on the underserved. Visit cademuseum.org to learn more.

Media Contact: Jody Farmer Email: Jfarmer@cademuseum.org
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