The Mariners' Museum President and CEO Timothy J. Sullivan is pleased to announce the successful completion of the 2:1 matching grant set by media executive and Museum Trustee Emeritus Frank Batten, adding a total of $6 million to the $30 million USS Monitor Center Capital Campaign. Hundreds of donors contributed during the three-year challenge period, helping meet the $4 million goal needed in order to receive Batten's $2 million pledge. Currently $27 million in cash and pledges have been received towards the ultimate $30 million capital campaign goal. More than $2 million in other related gifts and improvements for the new Center have also been received.
In 2003, The Mariners' Museum announced a $2 million 2:1 challenge grant from Batten. This challenge launched the $10 million dollar private sector portion of the Campaign. For every $2 the Museum raised from a corporation, foundation or individual, Batten provided $1.
"I am delighted that my challenge for The Mariners' Museum's Monitor fund drive has been met," Batten said. "Now the Trustees can enjoy the splendid exhibit they and the Museum's staff undertook so successfully."
Batten served on The Mariners' Museum's Board of Trustees from 1995 through 2003. He is chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Landmark Communications, Inc., which publishes The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. In 1982, he launched The Weather Channel under the auspices of Landmark Communications.
The Mariners' Museum is entering the final year of the $30 million Capital Campaign for the USS Monitor Center. With the backing of another challenge grant from the prestigious Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., The Mariners' Museum plans to conclude the private sector campaign by raising the remaining $3 million required to fund the project from corporations, foundations and individuals. Once the challenge is met, The Mariners' Museum will receive $600,000 from the Kresge Foundation.
On March 9, 2007, exactly 145 years after the historic clash between the Civil War ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, The Mariners' Museum and its partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will open the doors to one of the premier Civil War attractions across the nation-the USS Monitor Center. This dramatic new $30 million, 63,500-square-foot facility will enthrall families with exciting exhibits, bring students face-to-face with history, house state-of-the-art conservation labs and offer historians rich resources for research.
NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Program protects the wreck of the famed Civil War ironclad USS Monitor located 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., in 240 feet of water. Designated the nation's first marine sanctuary in 1975, the Monitor has since been the subject of intense investigation. In 1987, NOAA, on behalf of the federal government, designated The Mariners' Museum as repository for artifacts and archives from the USS Monitor. NOAA is the Museum's partner in the USS Monitor Center project. -- www.mariner.org
Posted January 17th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
