Explore & More received a wonderful holiday present in December when McGard, an Orchard Park manufacturer of specialized automobile wheel lug-nuts, contacted the Museum and made an offer toward the capital campaign. It was the first major gift matched dollar for dollar with funds from The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation challenge grant!
Now McGard is surprising and delighting us once again! Their engineers and designers are creating a children’s interactive that will hone children’s abilities to match the unique patterns found in McGard’s lug nut and the special key that turns them.
The people at McGard understand that play that stimulates a child’s inquisitive nature can result in something truly remarkable. Current President Peter McCauley stated that his father, Lewis D. McCauley invented the lug nut paired with a specialized patterned key creating wheel locks that are now used by automobile companies and car owners all over the world. McGard continues to create innovative locks to secure products for a wide variety of industries that secure items such as manhole covers, fire hydrants, water and gas shut-offs, meters and fixtures. L.D. McCauley used to go the basement at his home saying he was going to “tinker”. How wonderful that a true innovator who had such a strong foundation in tinkering in the past is supporting the “Tinker Tank” in the future Museum!
