Creative Discovery Museum's Science Theatre in Northgate Mall has Children Climbing the Wall

For Immediate Release:
June 15, 2009

Contact:  Libby Raiford at (423) 648-6096, lfr@cdmfun.org or
                Carla Campbell at (423) 648-6054, cbc@cdmfun.org


Creative Discovery Museum’s Science Theatre in Northgate Mall has Children Climbing the Walls

4 Day Grand Opening Celebration & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate Innovative Play 
 
 Free Climb Days:  June 29, June 30, July 1 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Community Free Day:   July 2 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
 * Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. with refreshments 
 * Free wall climb experience with challenges and prizes–all day
 * Free Science Spy Escapades show at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
 * Free hands-on Spy Workshop activities–all day
 * Free liquid nitrogen ice cream 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
    (limit one per guest)

 

Chattanooga, TN – A FREE week of fun at Creative Discovery Museum’s Science Theatre in Northgate Mall will have children climbing the walls - literally!  The Science Theatre will host a week of FREE fun to debut its new Magna® Traverse Wall designed by Everlast Climbing Industries, Inc. (ECI), a division of Chattanooga’s PlayCore.  Children are invited to climb the newly installed climbing wall at no charge June 29 - July 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  In addition to opening the Magna Traverse Wall on July 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Science Theatre will host free activities for children including a ribbon cutting ceremony, science shows, hands-on workshops, free liquid nitrogen ice cream and more!

The Science Theatre’s new Magna Traverse Wall is eight feet high and thirty-six feet long.  Climbers traverse, or travel horizontally across the wall instead of up.  They are never more than a few feet off the floor and no ropes, harnesses, or other special equipment or training is needed.  The Traverse Wall accommodates many participants at one time and offers the same fun and fitness as top-rope climbing walls.  The patented Magna surface accepts magnets, allowing participants to engage in a dynamic variety of games and activities. 

Everlast Climbing Industries, Inc. and PlayCore, a Chattanooga-based leader in play, donated the thirty-six foot long installation as part of PlayCore’s Partners in Play relationship with Creative Discovery Museum.  Both PlayCore and Creative Discovery Museum share a strong belief in the power of play and how it contributes to the physical and mental development of children and people of all ages and abilities.

“We designed the Traverse Wall to capture the hearts, minds, and bodies of today’s youth,” states Tim Sudeith, General Manager of PlayCore’s Youth Fitness Division, ECI.  “The wall is fun and engaging for children while challenging them physically and helping them to develop problem-solving, team-building, and other life skills as they move across the wall.”

“We’re thrilled to offer this kind of experience for children at the Science Theatre,“ comments Karen Dewhirst, Science Theatre Manager. “The Magna Traverse wall encourages children to set in motion both their mind and body to accomplish goals.  Plus, climbing is a popular sport in this area, so this is a great fit for our community and provides a unique learning opportunity for children that could help them develop life-long interest and participation in outdoor activities.”      

About Creative Discovery Museum
Creative Discovery Museum is recognized as one of the top children’s museums in the nation. It is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to educational enrichment for children ages 4-months to 12-years-old through interactive, hands-on experiences that foster creative and critical thinking. CDM focuses on a broad range of areas encompassed by Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Technology and the Sciences. In addition to its exhibits, CDM provides local residents and visitors with special events, educational programming, teacher resources for the classroom, field trips, after school programming, early childhood education classes, artist residencies, camps, art lessons, science demonstrations, and a branch of the local library. Creative Discovery Museum is a funded agency of Allied Arts and Tennessee Arts Commission.


About Everlast Climbing Industries, Inc.
Everlast Climbing Industries is a leader in the youth fitness industry and is committed to the development of best practice fitness programming and the creation of environments that encourage educational excellence. The company is headquartered in Mendota Heights, MN and is a division of PlayCore of Chattanooga, TN. More information is available about Everlast Climbing Industries, Inc. at www.traversewall.com.


About PlayCore
PlayCore is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of a broad range of commercial and consumer playground and park equipment, surfacing, site amenity, fitness, and related play products. The business operates under the GameTime, Play & Park Structures, and Ultra Play commercial brands, the award-winning consumer brand of Swing-N-Slide, the surfacing brand of TotTurf, and the youth fitness brand of Everlast Climbing Industries. PlayCore's corporate headquarters are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  More information is available about PlayCore at www.playcore.com.
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