Mice, Movies and Monsters?

PUTTING A NEW "THEME" TO THE THEME PARK BUSINESS
Bonfante Gardens Theme Park to Open in Late Spring of 2001

[Gilroy, Calif.] -- When the gamut has been run from cartoon to comic book to movie characters, what's a guy to do when he's choosing a theme for his multi-million dollar park? Look to your life's passion and that's exactly what Michael Bonfante did when he decided that trees would be the centerpiece for his project now completing construction in Gilroy, California.

And when every other park is geared for the fickle teen market that demands bigger, faster, scarier entertainment, what does the same guy to create a niche for his park and its kinder, gentler approach? Why, make it a family park that will attract parents with pre-teen kids and baby boom grandparents looking for an experience they can share together and maybe learn a little something along the way.

But, come on, trees? Yes, trees! How did Bonfante arrive at this approach? It started nearly three decades ago when somewhat out of the blue, Bonfante began to recognize the beauty and brilliance of Mother Nature's wisdom in creating these enduring creatures. There were the obvious reasons to respect our leafed friends: trees provide habitat, wood, erosion control and even food. It was the less obvious that piqued Bonfante's curiosity: trees gobble up carbon dioxide in this increasingly polluted world, trees provide natural warmth and cooling to ease demand on other natural resources, and trees are an important part of the nitrogen regeneration cycle in composting and in the forest floor.

The single most compelling reason Bonfante was drawn to trees surprised him most and that is the intrinsic, reassuring value of esthetics trees provide to our eye and our lives. Quite simply, trees area beautiful, graceful, and powerful counterpoint to the hardscape in today's life. The color/shape/bark/blossom combinations are almost infinite. This intrigued Bonfante and sparked a desire to share this new found love with others, especially children. The younger you are when discovery hits you, the longer you have to enjoy it, he reasoned.

That, and almost 20 years of what Bonfante refers to as his MBA in park-ology, has brought him to this threshold today. The park, now called Bonfante Gardens Theme Park, will open Spring, 2001, and will have the time-tested characteristics of all successful parks--rides, attractions, food, entertainment and merchandise. But instead of celebrating a fantasy character's latest animated feature, this park will celebrate and encourage budding stewards of the land in a fun, exciting and creative way.

And just to keep the altruistic nature of this project in real perspective, Bonfante has incorporated this company as a not-for-profit community charity. Operating as a 501 (c)(3) allows the park to be on the receiving end of corporate sponsorships and charitable grants to further the horticultural and educational programs. Further, each year a certain percentage of operating revenues will be reinvested in the community to beautify local surroundings. The not-for-profit tax-exempt status affords the Bonfante Gardens Board of directors the opportunity to make key decisions based on long term strategies, not short term profits. The legacy continues as a new theme park is born.