History-Making Gift to Help Preserve Forest Park for the ...



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For Immediate Distribution

For more information, contact:

Lee Anna Good, Forest Park Forever, (314) 367-7275 x17

Jim Mann, Forest Park Forever, (314) 367-7275 x11, or

Christy Conrad, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, (314) 512-2706

History-Making Gift from Jack Taylor and Enterprise Rent-A-Car

to Help Preserve Forest Park for the Future

ST. LOUIS, MO (July 18, 2005) – Forest Park Forever announced today a history-making gift of $5 million that will assist in the long-term preservation of Forest Park. The Jack C. Taylor family and Enterprise Rent-A-Car have made the donation to the Forest Park Trust Maintenance Endowment, said John Ferring, chairman of the organization’s board of directors. The gift is the largest ever from an individual in the park’s history, and the largest ever earmarked for the maintenance endowment.

“This most generous gift provides a tremendous base of support to help us protect our city’s common treasure—Forest Park—and preserve it for our grandchildren,” Ferring said. “Endowment income helps to continually care for 1,371 acres of formal gardens and natural landscapes, historic structures, recreational facilities, extensive waterways and path systems, wildlife habitats and nearly 18,000 trees, some more than 200 years old. We thank Jack Taylor, his family and his company for giving back to their hometown in a visionary way that benefits everyone.”

Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis recently completed a $94 million restoration of the park, and Forest Park Forever is now focused on long-term preservation, education and outreach. A maintenance study commissioned by FPF and the city estimates a minimum of $4.5 million is needed annually to maintain the park in its post-restoration state. The city currently contributes $1.5 million to maintain the park per year, leaving a $3 million annual gap that Forest Park Forever is attempting to close. As a gift to the endowment, the Taylor gift announced today should provide annual support of approximately $250,000 in perpetuity.

The gift brings to more than $8 million the total contributions that the Taylor family, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation have made to Forest Park Forever over the years. Earlier gifts have paid for 100 percent of the design and construction of the Boathouse, as well as other projects that have helped to give Forest Park new life over the past decade.

While praising the generosity of the Taylors, Ferring also stressed the need for additional funds for the park. Noting that the gift does not come close to closing the annual funding gap, he said, “We hope that this gift encourages the entire community to join the effort to secure this community treasure for future generations.”

“St. Louis has been very good over the years to my family and me, as well as to our company, and we feel a responsibility to support the institutions, like Forest Park, that bring everyone together and make this a wonderful place to live,” said Taylor, who founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car here nearly 50 years ago. “We have been delighted to see the great work Forest Park Forever has done. But this is where the really hard work starts—maintaining these great improvements so there really will be a Forest Park forever. We are happy to do our part, and we encourage others to do whatever they can as well.”

Forest Park Forever is a private, not for profit organization founded in 1986 to work in a public/private partnership with the City of St. Louis to restore and preserve Forest Park as one of the finest American urban parks. The organization seeks funds from individuals, foundations and corporations to meet annual goals for maintenance and education.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest rental car company in North America. It operates more than 700,000 Rental and Fleet Services vehicles worldwide and has annual revenues of $7.4 billion. Last year, Enterprise opened more than 500 new locations, increasing its total locations to more than 6,000. Enterprise is currently number 16 on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in America” list. For more information about Enterprise visit .

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