April 4, 2003

To:  The Elfun National officers:

It is with great pleasure that I send this letter to you – a letter long overdue - to detail for you the work, dedication, community spirit and success of the local Elfun Chapter. We are able to let you know first hand, because we are a major recipient of their expertise and good deeds….. done for The Discovery Center on behalf of the children of the Southern Tier.

Years ago, the initial Elfun team began to appear on the scene of our then fledgling hands-on children’s museum. Their skills were a lifeline and I think the founders began to keep them locked in a workshop so they would always be on hand! The museum has developed into a vital and respected educational resource in the community, and we have just finished a million-dollar expansion that has added new dimension to our mission.

We could not have survived without our local Elfun contingent. They have hammered and fabricated and painted and repaired and counseled and solved problems and much of what is bright and beautiful here in the museum is of their doing. Our most recent gift was a magnificent flagpole (our first), beautifully lighted, and inscribed, to display both the American and New York State flags. On May 17, 2003 , Armed Forces Day, we will have a dedication ceremony for the flagpole and for the Elfun Club members. The American Legion will be here to do the honor ceremony. The major participants in this project were Phil Stacconi and David Hogan.

We are so grateful for these dedicated, skilled and delightful engineers. They play a significant role in our operation. A day with out an Elfun is like a day without sunshine. We thank you, as well, for sending these wonderful General Electric wizards into their communities to do such significant professional and quality work. Their next assignment, should they wish to accept it, is to retrofit an ambulance to make it child user friendly! It just never ends. And we hope it never does! Thank you again.

Most sincerely,  

Margaret S. Crocker

Executive Director, Discovery Center