YouZeum nets $750,000 grant, closes in on fundraising goal

The YouZeum, a planned science center intended to help children learn about healthy lifestyles, got a $750,000 booster shot from the federal government Wednesday.

The grant puts the interactive museum being developed in the former federal building on Cherry Street at 94 percent of its fundraising goal, YouZeum Board President Jim Ritter said. The $750,000 grant was included in the fiscal 2006 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said at a news conference announcing the contribution. The bill passed last week.

Bond spoke at a news conference held at the YouZeum site. The senator, Ninth District U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, and city officials donned overcoats against the cold in the building’s newly demolished interior.

Bond, citing numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that while fewer than half of American adults were obese in the late 1970s, that number has grown to two out of three now. He said obesity, which contributes to health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, is a rapidly growing problem, especially among children.

Bond also noted that seven of 10 American deaths each year are caused by preventable chronic illnesses. The YouZeum, he said, will impress upon children and their families the importance of watching weight and exercising.

“We have a public health time bomb on our hands,” Bond said. “How do we stop it? Adopt a healthier lifestyle.”

Bond said the museum would provide information on a range of health issues, including smoking, mental health and physical fitness. He said the interactive quality of its exhibits will illustrate health issues in ways that will help children understand.

Ritter said that the science center would attract visitors of all ages and that programs will guide visitors to age-appropriate exhibits. Among the amenities will be an interactive supermarket intended to teach children about healthy food choices and a “tot spot” for younger children on the building’s second floor.

Bond and Hulshof both credited community involvement for the successes in planning and fundraising for the YouZeum. Bond said it is gratifying to see the community commit resources to the project.

Ritter said the center, set to open in fall 2006, has been in the works for about 12 years. He said the need for a host building slowed the creation of the center before the federal government donated the building. Bond said the fact that the museum will be developed in the federal building, which also served as a post office at one time, is a plus.

“I’ve been a great fan of historic preservation for a long time,” Bond said.

Ritter said that before the $750,000 appropriation, the center had reached about 87 percent of its fundraising goal. YouZeum supporters still hope to collect another $500,000 from people and local businesses.

The center is expected to attract more than 170,000 families each year.