Your Pennies at Work

Choptank Electric Trust awards $5,000 to Delmarva Discovery Museum for limited-time free entry.

Located in the quaint little town of Pocomoke, Maryland, the Delmarva Discovery Museum sits on the main street in a refurbished Art Deco building. Built in 1922, this historic Pocomoke landmark started out, originally, as a car dealership. 
The Museum welcomes approximately 15,000 visitors annually, a good mix of locals and tourists traveling through. The Museum packs in the rich history and natural world of the Delmarva peninsula, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, in its 16,000-square-foot space. 
Attendees of all ages can explore and enjoy the many exhibits offered. The experience includes the large River Otter Exhibit, followed by a Touch Pool, Beaver Lodge, and a Steamship. A Native American Room, Children’s Room, Decoy Shed, Boat Shed, and a STEM Classroom and Lab. The tour ends with a visit to the Museum’s beautiful gift shop. 
In addition to the exhibits, the Museum also offers many educational programs, available to school groups, Scouts, summer camps, and other youth organizations. The Museum also offers programs that support adult education, including guided tours, and a variety of public programs and special events. 
“Our most popular exhibit by far is our otters, Mac and Tuck,” stated Christy Gordon, Chief of Operations, with fondness for the Museum’s furry stars. “They are North American river otters, and they thrive on seeing our guests. They absolutely love the kids and can’t help themselves -They put on a show!” 
Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the otters did not see anyone except for their handlers for six months while they were closed, and attendance afterward was down dramatically. 
In January, Gordon applied to the Choptank Electric Trust, with the intent to create some kind of free avenue to remind audiences of the Museum’s many attractions and boost their attendance once more. 
“We were hurting financially, but we knew that our local families were hurting even more without access to quality educational entertainment. We applied so that we could give everyone a break and it worked! It was a crazy five days when we did not charge the entrance fee. But we wanted people to know we were open and to come in,” said Gordon. 
The grant provided free entry starting March 25, 2021 and continued past the target end date, giving away over 600 tickets.
Attendees were so thrilled with the free entry promotion that many decided to donate anyway. 
“We are so grateful for the grant that the Choptank Electric Trust awarded us,” said Gordon. “We couldn’t have gotten the message out about how we were still open for business without the help of the Choptank Trust. Pocomoke is a small town with small businesses, and many always point to us as one of the ‘unofficial welcome centers.’  All the businesses here support each other, and we want to continue supporting each other for many years to come.” 
For more information about the Delmarva Discovery Museum, visit www.delmarvadiscoverycenter.org/. To find out how the Choptank Electric Trust can help your organization, visit www.choptankelectric.coop/operation-round-trust-fund.