One of Cleveland’s gems is the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, a boutique aquarium located in a former power plant that supplied energy to the electric streetcars in the late 1800’s. It sits on the West Bank of The Flats alongside the Cuyahoga River, and its tall brick smokestacks are instantly recognizable to any Clevelander.
Since opening in 2012 in this historic building, the staff has always been incredibly receptive to calls from EA to help us showcase one of our region’s attractions when we are providing an immersion day for a family considering a move to NE Ohio. That warm, gracious and welcoming attitude starts at the top with General Manager Tami Brown (Not surprisingly, her prior job was with the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and she knows visitor experiences matter!). Tami and her team recently came up with a cool idea we think will hit it out of the park. It marries our love of enjoying a cold brewed beer with supporting a local cause.
For years the Aquarium has been combatting the decline of spotted turtles (on the watch list for endangered species) by fostering orphaned eggs from Ashtabula and Lake Counties at the Aquarium until they are mature enough to be returned to their natural habitat (often 3-4 years). This care takes time and money so they have partnered with Terrestrial Brewing Company to create a new brew: I Love It When I Save the Turtles Porter. A portion of the proceeds of each beer sale will go to helping this program. Check out the Pints for Turtles FB page here.
Photo courtesy The Spotted Turtle Group’s FB page.
The Aquarium also created a Splash Fund as it is a for profit organization, like most aquariums in the US. The Aquarium is supported by a non-profit fundraising arm overseen by a small group of board members. Splash Fund is involved in cool hands on projects like a clean up the beach day at Edgewater Park, working alongside the Cleveland Metroparks staffers, and raising money to help defray transportation costs for school kids from underserved neighborhoods visiting the Aquarium.
Photo courtesy of Greater Cleveland Aquarium.
A family annual pass to the Aquarium is $130. And, after a winter like the one we just had, it makes more sense than ever to be able to stop in any time to feel the innate relaxation that comes from hearing the sound of the water and seeing marine life swim all around you.
Executive Arrangements has been sharing the gems of NE Ohio in a highly customized behind-the-scenes manner for almost 40 years. If your company’s talent attraction and retention programs could use a creative spark so that you are landing the best possible candidates from home and abroad, call us: 216.231.9311.