Simmons Foods makes $250,000 pledge to Fort Kids Children’s Museum

BusinessFort SmithNorthwest ArkansasTourism / Heritage

by Michael Tilley ([email protected]) ago 166 views 

Siloam Springs-based Simmons Foods has made a $250,000 pledge to the Fort Kids Children’s Museum planned to be built in downtown Fort Smith along the Arkansas River near the U.S. Marshals Museum. The pledge follows a February $250,000 pledge from Fort Smith-based ArcBest.

Sarah Rumsey Strom, founder and president of the Fort Kids Museum board of directors, has said the museum will focus on three pillars: Education, focusing on literacy and STEM-based activities; development with a focus on the whole child; and mental health. Planned exhibits will include a Playful Town that will feature a full-size food truck, a doctor’s office, a garage and auto body shop, a bank, an airplane and more. There also will be a “river” water play/climbing area, a two-story climber, an art studio, a STEM space, and hands-on open-concept areas for children over 5.

“We believe in Fort Kids’ potential to make a lasting difference for so many Arkansas families,” Mark Simmons, board chair of Simmons Foods, said in Monday’s press release from Fort Kids. “This museum will be something the River Valley can be proud of – a place where curiosity takes root, kids learn to see new possibilities, and they build the confidence to work through hard problems. We are honored to help bring that vision to life in downtown Fort Smith.”

Since becoming a nonprofit in 2022, Fort Kids has worked with thousands of children through free pop-up exhibits, school programs, and community events while working toward a permanent children’s museum dedicated to creating a world of possibility through connection and play, according to the press release.

“We are incredibly grateful to Simmons Foods for believing in this vision,” Strom said. “There are moments in the life of an organization that become part of its story forever, and this is one of them. This commitment means more to us than words can express. Their generosity is an investment in every child who will one day walk through the doors of Fort Kids. When our community invests in children, we’re investing in the future of the River Valley. Together, we’re creating a place where families gather, imaginations grow, and children build the skills, creativity, and curiosity that form the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. We are deeply honored by their partnership and grateful for their support in this vision.”

Strom said the Simmons gift helps the museum get closer to closing on a $1 million matching gift. Cash and pledges, including the donation of land from the Westphal family, is now more than $4 million. The fundraising goal is $16.3 million, and museum officials plan to begin construction when the tally gets to $7.4 million.

The initial size of the museum was 20,000 square feet, but that is an initial estimate and could change, Strom said. She said they are now working with Oakland, Calif.-based Gyroscope Inc. on exhibit design.