Discovery Exhibit Re-Opens

December 17, 2014

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

Brookshire’s Exhibit “Grand Re-Opening” at Discovery Science Place - a UT Tyler Center

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December 17, 2014

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

December 16, 2014

Media Contact:Whitney Patterson
Development Director
Discovery Science Place
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.533.8011 x210 or 903.245.1138 (cell)

Discovery Science Place is reopening its recently renovated Brookshire's exhibit with a brief ceremony at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18. The renovations to the exhibit are a result of a $15,000 donation made to the museum in the spring, funds raised from Brookshire Grocery Co.'s annual golf tournament.

"We are so thrilled with the recent updates to this exhibit," said Whitney Patterson, development director for Discovery Science Place. "Our mission is to ignite curiosity in young minds, and the updated Brookshire's exhibit showcases that in a way that highlights what is important to both their guests and ours."

Brookshire Grocery Co. began contributing to DSP in the organization's planning stages, and more than $50,000 has been donated to the organization in the last decade alone. The Brookshire's exhibit and mini supermarket was established in 2004, renovated in 2009, and then completely renovated again within the last few months.

"We understand the importance of teaching children about nutrition and budgeting and are excited to have the opportunity to do this through our renovated exhibit at Discovery Science Place," said Rick Rayford, president and CEO for Brookshire Grocery Co. "In addition to highlighting nutrition, we also included a 'farm-to-table' aspect to show children how food goes from the farm to the grocery store shelves and ultimately to their homes and dinner tables."

New product tags in the mini store feature the same NuVal nutritional scoring system found in all BGC stores. NuVal scores food on a scale of 1 to 100 - the higher the NuVal score, the better the nutrition. Children can use this at-a-glance program to learn how to make healthy choices. Physical renovations include new flooring, interactive monitors with educational games, an interactive scanner, new products and much more.

Discovery Science Place is a nonprofit science center founded in 1993 and located at 308 N. Broadway in downtown Tyler. Discovery Science Place provides hands on exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. DSP is open 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 - 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6 for children and $8 for adults. More than 50,000 guests visit Discovery Science Place each year. For more information, visit discoveryscienceplace.org.

Brookshire Grocery Co. operates 152 stores in three states -- Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas -- with three distribution centers and five manufacturing facilities. Known for friendly service, clean stores and strong community support, BGC has been in operation since 1928. Their mission is to provide a great food and shopping experience. For more information, visit brookshires.com.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 8,000 high-ability students. UT Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.