For us? You shouldn’t have. We think living in TBAY and St. Petersburg are the greatest gifts of all, but they’ve actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. Check out these gifts given to the area.
The Dalí Museum | The 60,000+-sqft museum houses more than 2,400 pieces from the artist’s entire career, including paintings, photos, and documents. We have A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse to thank for this breathtaking collection of his work. The couple bought their first piece in 1943. A month later, they happened to meet the artist and his wife, sparking a lifelong friendship. In the mid-1970s, the Morses decided to donate their entire collection of Dalí’s work. St. Petersburg came out on top, with the original museum opening in 1982, and an updated building arriving in 2011.
Friends of the Children | In 2022, MacKenzie Scott, formerly married to Jeff Bezos, gave Friends of the Children-Tampa Bay $1.1 million. It’s the largest single gift ever given to the TBAY chapter of the nonprofit. Overall, Scott gave more than $44 million to the parent organization, Friends of the Children. Earlier that year, Scott also donated more than $120 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is headquartered here in Tampa.
These extraordinary gifts not only add character and value to our city but also show how generosity can have a lasting impact.
Did we miss something from your holiday list? Drop us a line and let us know what TBAY gift you love the most.
