Stamford-based F. D. Rich Co. and the Rich Family Foundation have pledged $200,000 to the Mill River Collaborative’s “Dreams Taking Root: Capital Campaign for Stamford”™s Mill River Park.”
Thomas Rich, company president, made the announcement.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege to be even a small part of another Stamford miracle that was initiated and brought to life by both our former mayor and now Gov. Dan Malloy and the indefatigable Arty Selkowitz,” Rich said. “Thankfully, our current Mayor David Martin is also carrying on that vision as is evidenced by his recent announcement of the city”™s decision to make the long-vacant former Archstone Development site a part of the park.”
The Rich Pantry will be  inside the Brownstein/Selkowitz Carousel and Event Pavilion planned for the northwest corner of the park near Mill River and Broad streets.
The pantry will sell snacks, prepared lunch items and the like for carousel visitors and for those seeking lunch  at the pavilion and on its patio.
Rich said, “That spot at the bottom of the West Broad Street hill is about 1,000 feet away from where my father, Bob Rich, and his brother, Frank, were raised. They must have walked by and played in that park hundreds of times throughout their childhood. And, since they both had an appreciation for good food, my cousin F. D. “Rick” Rich III and I thought it was an appropriate place to have a space within the Brownstein/Selkowitz building named the Rich Pantry in their honor.”
Since its inception, The Rich Foundation has donated more than $7 million to Stamford area nonprofits involved in the arts, education, health care and social services.
