The Partners in Preservation #VoteYourPark
Campaign Celebrated the National Park Service Centennial
American Express (NYSE:AXP)and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation today announced the winners of the Partners in
Preservation: National Parks campaign. The winning parks,
determined by a popular vote, are Yellowstone National Park, Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yosemite
National Park, Zion National Park, World War II Valor in the
Pacific National Monument, Everglades National Park, Denali
National Park and Mt. Rainier National Park.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160706006049/en/
The winning parks’ local nonprofit partners will receive a total
of $1.8 million in grants to help fund their respective
preservation projects. The nonprofit partners for all 20 national
parks which participated in the program received a $10,000 grant at
the outset of the campaign to help raise awareness about their
preservation needs, adding up to $2 million in grants.
A decade after its inception, Partners in Preservation, a
community-based initiative created to raise awareness of the
importance of preserving historic places, honored the National Park
Service Centennial by directing its efforts to historic sites
within national park units in need of preservation support. Twenty
different park sites with unique histories, reflective of the
diverse communities and experiences that comprise our nation’s
cultural fabric, participated in the campaign. The nine winning
sites accumulated the most votes throughout the campaign, which was
hosted by media partner National Geographic, from May 25 through
July 5.
“We are thrilled with the response and support for Partners
in Preservation: National Parks and are proud to award $2
million in grants to extraordinary sites that tell the story of our
national park system and reflect the rich cultural resources within
it,” said Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express
Foundation. “The campaign received more than 1 million votes. We
thank everyone who voted and applaud all participants of the
campaign, as each helped further the public dialogue about the
National Park Service’s preservation needs.”
“Partners in Preservation: National Parks has shone new light on
the importance of rehabilitating historic resources in national
parks and provided much needed funding to make them more accessible
to visitors for years to come,” said Stephanie K. Meeks, President
and CEO, National Trust for Historic Preservation. “And through
their participation in the campaign, more than 190,000 Americans
have reaffirmed that these places matter – to our history, our
nation, and our communities.”
“The Partners in Preservation program is an excellent example of
the many ways private organizations have always been essential to
the success and longevity of the National Park System,” said
National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “These grants
will enable our parks to restore and preserve priceless historical
features that make a visit to a national park so unique.”
Grants will be awarded by September 2016.
The winning Partners in Preservation: National Parks
sites are as follows:
Yellowstone National Park | Yellowstone National Park,
WyomingBrink of Upper Falls Overlook: From the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, visitors gaze upon
the same vistas that helped persuade Congress to preserve
Yellowstone as the world’s first national park nearly 145 years
ago. The $250,000 grant will rehabilitate historic stonework at the
Brink of Upper Falls Overlook, one of ten overlooks around the
canyon, to ensure future generations witness the dramatic
perspective of Yellowstone.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Tennessee and North
CarolinaClingmans Dome Observation Tower: Built in 1959, as part of
the Mission 66 program, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is best
viewed from Clingmans Dome Observation Tower, where visitors can
take in nearly 100 miles of majestic mountains and valleys. Located
atop Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet and straddling the North Carolina
and Tennessee state line, the tower is the highest point in the
park. The $250,000 grant will restore the deteriorating structure
for future visitors.
Grand Canyon National Park | Grand Canyon, ArizonaDesert View
Watchtower: Grand Canyon National Park’s south rim is home to the
striking Desert View Watchtower with expansive views of one of the
country’s most iconic vistas. The Watchtower, an exposition of the
prehistoric Indian towers found throughout the Southwest, features
internationally significant American Indian murals. The $250,000
grant will conserve the tower’s historic murals so they can
continue to tell the lesser-known story of the canyon’s tribes to
future generations.
Yosemite National Park | Yosemite, CaliforniaParsons Memorial
Lodge: Yosemite National Park is not only known for its peaks and
waterfalls, but also boasts one of the earliest stone rustic
buildings in a national park. The $97,000 grant will support needed
restoration work at Parsons Memorial Lodge, located in Tuolumne
Meadows and originally built by the Sierra Club in 1915, to reverse
damage done by high elevation weather.
Zion National Park | Springdale, UtahZion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel and
Highway: Zion National Park encompasses some of the most moving
canyon views in the United States with sandstone cliffs and blue
sky as far as the eye can see. The remarkable 1.1 mile Zion-Mt
Carmel Tunnel connects Zion to touring destinations such as Bryce
Canyon and Grand Canyon, allowing visitors a scenic drive. The
$191,000 grant will support needed preservation work on the
Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel and Highway including repairs to the
sandstone masonry features and interior surfaces of the mile long
tunnel.
World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument | Honolulu,
HawaiiBattleship Row Mooring Quay: World War II Valor in the
Pacific National Monument commemorates the heroic sacrifices made
during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Mooring Quays of Battleship
Row are the last remaining structures that mark the locations of
the American battleship force during the attack. The $250,000 grant
will restore and stabilize one of the quays, serving as a model for
eventual repairs to all six structures.
Everglades National Park | Homestead, FloridaFlamingo Visitor
Center: Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical
wilderness in the United States, is home to more than just
alligators. The park boasts the Flamingo Visitor Center, a
distinctive example of Park Service Modern architecture and the
Mission 66 building program that transformed America’s national
parks in the 1950s and 1960s. The $250,000 grant will restore the
exterior of the visitor center, connecting a new generation of
visitors to the unique site.
Denali National Park | Denali Park, AlaskaSuperintendent’s
Office: Denali National Park is home to six million acres of
wilderness and roaming animals. Its centerpiece is North America’s
most majestic peak. The rustic former superintendent’s office
represents Alaska’s adventurous and pioneering spirit and
demonstrates how early Park Service staff made use of whatever
materials were available. The $220,000 grant will restore and
relocate the historic structure back to the heart of park
headquarters for public access.
Mount Rainier National Park | Longmire, WashingtonLongmire
Historic District Search and Rescue House: Mount Rainier National
Park is an icon of the Pacific Northwest that calls to climbers and
hiking enthusiasts from all over the world. A partial $42,412 grant
will help rehabilitate an original building in the Longmire
Historic District, one of the most extensive collections of
National Park Service Rustic style architecture in the country, to
provide housing for volunteer search and rescue staff who are
critical to park emergency operations.
About Partners in
Preservation
Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express,
in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
awards preservation grants to historic places across the
country.
Through this partnership, American Express and the National
Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public's
awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United
States and to preserve America's historic and cultural places. The
program also hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens
for the historic places at the heart of their communities.
To date, Partners in Preservation has awarded $16 million in
support of historic places across the United States.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing
customers with access to products, insights and experiences that
enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at
americanexpress.com and connect with us on
facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress,
linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress,
and youtube.com/americanexpress.
Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility
information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, Plenti
rewards program, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards,
merchant services, corporate card, business travel and corporate
responsibility.
About the National Trust for Historic
Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded
nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places.
www.savingplaces.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160706006049/en/
Media:American ExpressAmelia
Woltering, 212-640-7034Amelia.t.woltering@aexp.comorNational Trust
for Historic PreservationAndy Grabel,
202-588-6025agrabel@savingplaces.orgorDay One AgencyLauren Sachs,
561-308-8861lauren@D1A.com
American Express (NYSE:AXP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
American Express (NYSE:AXP)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024