Aligned Investments
A.M. Todd
Berkeley Mills
Bizet
Central Station
Children's Fairyland
C&H Sugar
Education Finance Partners
e-Storm
Fritz Institute
Landkamer Partners
Lura Dolas
Zazzle
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Children’s Fairyland, which opened in 1950 on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt, is one of the oldest storybook theme parks in America. The ten-acre park, which is run as a nonprofit organization, combines kid-scale storybook sets with gentle animals and live entertainment. It was the inspiration for Disneyland and remains a regional treasure. But its web site failed to capture the place’s magic and charm. I began working with Fairyland’s executive director, C.J. Hirschfield, in November 2005 to create a new voice and story for Fairyland. I interviewed Fairyland’s puppetmasters, horticulturalist, animal keeper, theater director, development director, and many other staff members. Then I rewrote all of the old web content and added many new stories about Fairyland’s animals, gardens, donor opportunities, and dedication to reading and learning. During seventeen months of project development I donated approximately 250 hours of writing and consulting time to a project that ended “happily ever after” for everyone.