Cade Museum receives $25K donation

The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention received a $25,000 gift made in memory of Gainesville native and music legend Tom Petty.

Adria Petty, Tom’s daughter, donated the funds that are earmarked to help Operation Full STEAM (OFS), Cade Museum’s outreach project designed to close achievement gaps for underserved elementary school students by providing experiences to foster creativity and development of an inventive mindset, according to the Cade press release.

“The Cade is run by special people who love and dedicate themselves to Gainesville and its youth,” said Adria in the release. “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, one of the Cade Museum’s many outreach partnerships, serves second through fifth grade students in Title I schools in Alachua County. The project engages participants’ parents and families with each family receiving a free yearly membership to the Cade.  

“We are delighted and grateful to receive this impactful gift from Adria,” said Stephanie Bailes, President and CEO of the Cade Museum, in the release. “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.”