Exciting progress has been made on the Capital Campaign for the Case Mill Homestead and on renovations at the site. At the end of January, more than $350,000 in gifts and pledges had been raised toward the first phase goal of the campaign -- $660,000. "We are pleased that our supporters have pushed us past the halfway mark of our campaign," said Wayne Silverman, Chief Administrative Officer. "Now we need to all work together to secure the remaining $300,000 required for Phase I." In addition, half of the renovations have been completed in preparation for a move-in date by the end of spring.

Madis Botanicals, a division of PureWorld, pledged $50,000 to the campaign, and has selected the new Annex Building for a name dedication. Madis/Pure World is the second company to contribute at that level. The Annex will be the focal point for the public and professional education functions of the new facility until the permanent Herbal Education and Research Center is built. Paul and Natalie Koether, chairman and president of Madis/Pure World respectively, said, "We wanted to acknowledge the work of ABC by aligning ourselves with a part of the facility that will move ABC into a new and expanded role. This facility will provide a learning environment for health professionals, industry and the general public, and we are proud to help create it."

The first phase consists of renovations to the 140-year-old house that will become the administration building, the carriage house (for storage), the gardens, and the new Annex Building, the first home of the Herbal Education and Research Center.

Last year, Enzymatic Therapy also made a pledge at the $50,000 level. "Key leadership in the herb industry is making lead gifts," commented Mark Blumenthal, ABC Founder and Executive Director. "Although we are expanding the campaign to foundations and corporate giving outside the herbal industry, we hope other key leaders of the herbal and dietary supplement industries will provide funding to quickly move us to our Phase I goal."

The future is taking shape with Phase II in the planning stages. In Phase II, ABC will build an 8,000 square-foot building featuring a library and multimedia resource center, classrooms and staff offices. and a large multi-purpose room. The goal for this next phase is currently $2.5 million. The push for this funding will commence when Phase I is completed and ABC is fully functioning in the new site.

Article copyright American Botanical Council.

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By Lavinia Baumhoff