Media Releases
Graham Suntok, The 100,000th Visitor
Posted on: February 12, 2010
At 11:00 AM today (January 23, 2010), eleven year old Graham Suntok was identified as the 100,000th visitor to the new Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney.
Graham, a grade six student at Royal Oak Elementary School, was visiting the Centre with his dad Steve and sisters Leah, age nine and Reese, age two. Graham and his classmates will soon be taking a free trip to the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre to participate in the Centre’s environmental education program. He also received the remarkable new book Ocean Census. As the Centre’s new Ocean Ambassador for Youth, Graham will participate in special events and invite 24 of his friends to explore the Centre.
The number of visitors to the award winning discovery centre during the seven months since the Centre opened on June 20, 2009 has more than doubled attendance projections. The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is extremely popular among families; 38% of the Centre’s visitors are under age 17.
“Our educators and volunteer Oceaneer team are thrilled to share their knowledge of marine life of the Salish Sea with throngs of curious visitors and engaged kids like Graham.” says Angus Matthews, Executive Director at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. “Attendance has been double expectations because of the personal visitor experiences provided by our dedicated Oceaneers and amazing animals of the Salish Sea in our displays.”
About the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium and marine education centre focused on the amazing ecosystem of the Salish Sea. The Centre operates as a not-for-profit community facility that is self supporting through admission fees, grants and donations. The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is governed, funded and owned by the New Marine Centre Society. Funds for the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre were raised through generous community support, and a major donation from Shaw Communications. The Centre is located in a spectacular waterfront building in Sidney, BC.
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For further information, contact Angus Matthews, Executive Director – 250-858-4427 angus@oceandiscovery.ca or Robyn Waterman, Public Relations Manager – 250-665-7511 pr@oceandiscovery.ca
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