Million Dollar Milestone

WE DID IT!You may (or may not) have heard that on Saturday, January 13 our Gift Shop reached $1,000,000 in sales! This would not have been possible without all of you – our visitors, members, and donors. Whether you bought a box of flavored crickets or a giant windchime, thank you!Our Gift Shop opened in 2009 two weeks before the start of the State Fair of Texas. “It has been fun and amazing to watch the shop grow,” says Gift Shop Coordinator, Kerry Ragsdill.  She’s been on board since day one!Kerry has been preparing for the million dollar sale for a few months. Late last year, in anticipation reaching the $1M goal, our Gift Shop offered everyone 10% off their purchase. Every purchase over $25 was entered into a drawing to win a $250 gift card. We also had a special gift basket full of staff favorites from the Gift Shop to give to the person who put us over our goal. 

Kerry Ragsdill and Jeff Kosoris

Before the sale that pushed over the $1M mark, she and the rest of the Gift Shop staff were closely monitoring sales. “Reaching the Million Dollar Milestone was amazing and terrifying all at the same time. We wanted to do something for our members and visitors, hence the giveaways! My goal was to hit it in December, but hitting it on the Volunteer Appreciation Day was just as exciting. Not just for me, but for the entire staff, too. We had been watching the sales go up and up. With each sale closer & closer it was hard for me to maintain my excitement. I think I scared the winner, Jeff Kosoris,” continued Kerry. What now?Kerry explains, “I’m looking forward to the next million! I just hope it doesn’t take 8 years  4 months and 10 days!”