Million Dollar Donation Made to Support Wetlands Preservation at Bonnet Springs Park

Taylor Family Impact Foundation Commits Support to Wetlands Preserve

The Taylor Family Impact Foundation announced that it has made a one million dollar gift to Bonnet Springs Park. The gift will support the Carol Jenkins Barnett Endowment Fund, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the park, and will be allocated towards naming the Wetlands Preserve. The mission of Bonnet Springs Park is to enrich our community through nature, culture, recreation, and education. The Park serves to unify the city's diverse population, offering public spaces that serve the needs of many by providing engaging and diverse opportunities in education and recreation to residents and visitors. All donations to the CJB Endowment Fund are being matched 2:1 by the BSP Board of Directors, allowing this gift to have an even greater impact on our community.

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The Taylor Family Impact Foundation has an action-oriented commitment to drive positive socioeconomic impact and enrich the communities in which the Taylors operate their businesses. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The Taylor Family Impact Foundation is excited to establish this enduring partnership with Bonnet Springs Park,” Troy Taylor, President of the Taylor Family Impact Foundation shared. “Wetlands are an essential part of Florida’s eco-system and this gift to Bonnet Springs is simply a demonstration of our commitment to make an impact in the community. Being able to support the park’s endeavors allows us to deliver this commitment in an even more meaningful way.” The Taylor Family Impact Foundation was endowed by gifts from the Taylor Family in 2024. The Taylor family is the owner of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida).

Bonnet Springs Park aims to enrich the community by combining and promoting the use of nature, culture, recreation, and education. Educational opportunities and activities throughout the wetlands preserve will create increased awareness and understanding of the Florida wetlands and the importance of preserving them. "We believe it is imperative to support conservation efforts and children's education in the local community. The Taylor Family’s investment in Bonnet Springs Park enables us to continue fulfilling Carol's hopes, and we are proud to know this gift will bring great benefit to kids and families for generations to come," said Barney Barnett, Founding BSP Board Member.

Saturday, September 21^st was International Coastal Cleanup Day, a global opportunity that partners volunteer organizations and individuals to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Coke Florida has been a consistent participant in International Coastal Cleanup Day activities partnering across the state in various cleanup activities.

Volunteers from Coke Florida and Lakeland/Polk County community groups Girls Inc. and George Jenkins High School commemorated International Coastal Cleanup Day 2024 at Bonnet Springs Park. Volunteers helped by weeding and adding native plantings throughout the lagoon beds, helped to re-mulch the Monarch Trail, and provided additional landscape work on the wetland's boardwalk.

About Taylor Family Impact Foundation

Endowed with gifts from the Taylor family, the Taylor Family Impact Foundation was created in 2024 to intentionally enhance the family’s impact in the community. With an action-oriented commitment to drive positive socioeconomic impact across generations, the foundation prioritizes grants into five areas: (i) to enhance access to the early detection and prevention of cancer; (ii) to education; (iii) to the arts; (iv) to programs and projects supporting marginalized youth; and (v) to enriching the communities in which the Taylors operate their businesses.

About Bonnet Springs

Bonnet Springs Park is a blended urban/natural 168-acre Park centrally located in Lakeland, Florida. Bonnet Springs Park is designed to create spaces to escape, engage, and explore while experiencing and learning about the extraordinary history of Central Florida. Bonnet Springs Park is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to enrich the community through nature, culture, recreation, and education. The Park serves to unify Central Florida’s diverse population, offering public spaces that serve the needs of many by providing engaging and unique opportunities in education and recreation to residents and visitors. The vision of Bonnet Springs Park is to be a place within walking distance to our city’s urban core where art, recreation, fun, and tranquility intersect by design.

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