Selby Gardens nets $2.5 million gift from late benefactor

The late Evelyn Mink went above and beyond in her benevolence and dedication to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Mink, who volunteered in the Selby Gardens Welcome Center for 25 years and retired just before her 100th birthday, left the botanical garden a $2.5 million estate gift.

Selby Gardens announced Monday that it will receive $2.5 million from the Evelyn S. Mink Charitable Trust and that her name will be on a volunteer suite in the Plant Research Center that will be part of the sprawling facility’s upcoming development plan.

Mink’s final day volunteering was in March 2020, just before Selby Gardens had to shut down due to the pandemic. Mink was two months shy of her 100th birthday at that point; the philanthropist died at age 101 in June 2021.

Mink worked for nearly 5,000 hours at Selby Gardens, and with her donation, the botanical garden has now raised more than $53 million for its upcoming master plan for redevelopment.

Read more: City approves Selby Gardens master plan

“Evelyn Mink’s dedicated service and generous philanthropy are an inspiration and, really, part of a legacy here at Selby Gardens,” said Jennifer O. Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. “Both of our campuses were established by forward-thinking women of their time whose influence continues to enrich our community many decades later. When volunteers see Mrs. Mink’s name on their dedicated space in our new facilities, they’ll know she was a special woman who made Selby Gardens an even better place for those who came after her.”