The afternoon of Feb. 15, friends and members of the community came out to the greenhouse to celebrate Betty Kendall.
The official name of the collection is “The Betty Kendall Lady Slipper Orchid Collection.” Kendall’s friends, Pat Zeabart and Gay Nation, organized the collection.
“What we wanted to do was come up with a living tribute that would acknowledge Betty’s commitment to the community,” Nation said.
Nation said the collection is something people can enjoy for the next 100 years, as orchids can live for a long time.
In addition, lady slipper orchids pay tribute to Kendall’s style and her love for high heels.
Cheryl LeBlanc, curator at the greenhouse, said there are about 175 different kinds of lady slipper orchids, and once the donation is complete, the greenhouse will have 100 of them.
“We are already on the map as the largest collegiate collection of orchids in the country,” LeBlanc said.
Zeabart has known Kendall for more than 30 years. They met at the First Presbyterian Church and have spent numerous holidays together.
“We have been close for a lot of years, and I just knew that we wanted to do something, and this is what happened,” Zeabart said.
Kendall said she was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.
“It’s just awesome; it’s hard to comprehend,” Kendall said. “This [greenhouse] is just such a wonderful place.”
Kendall said she still supports Ball State and shows her Cardinal pride by attending sporting events, plays and concerts.
Interim President Terry King was in attendance for the event and said the donation of the orchids shows the community’s dedication to the greenhouse.
“It is a phenomenal sign of how passionate people are about the facilities,” King said, “I would comment that this particular facility is one of those hidden jewels not just for Muncie, but for the whole region.”
Nation said donated funds were used to purchase the plants and will also be used for educational purposes and the maintenance of the collection.
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