Tourism Cares for Mystic Seaport

Description

 Contact:               Dan McFadden, 860.572.5317
                                dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org
 
Tourism Cares for Mystic Seaport Friday, May 6
Volunteer Project to Bring Hundreds of Travel Professionals to Museum
 
Mystic, CT – Hundreds of travel, tourism, and hospitality industry professionals from throughout North America will come to Mystic Seaport for a day-long volunteer project to restore and revitalize the Museum grounds on Friday, May 6.
The project, in its 9th year, brings industry professionals together to make a difference at historic sites nationwide. During this Tourism Cares restoration and clean-up project, over 350 tourism professionals, from front-line workers to corner office executives, will work side-by-side with a common goal – the visible improvement of Mystic Seaport. The impact of this volunteer project is far-reaching, as it will not only improve the vibrancy of the Museum, it also will help leverage Mystic Seaport, and the entire Mystic area, as an important national tourism destination vital to Connecticut’s economic growth.
“We are grateful for the support of Tourism Cares,” said Mystic Seaport president Steve White. “We work hard to maintain a first-rate facility for our visitors. It’s not easy to care for a campus of our size – particularly in a challenging economic climate. To have this type of help speaks volumes of the people in the tourism industry and their willingness to pitch in and help out.”
Located along the banks of the historic Mystic River, Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Established in 1929, the Museum campus entails more than 100 buildings spread across 19 acres.  Volunteer projects for the day will include painting, landscaping, ship maintenance and more. Among the tasks, volunteers will:
•             Apply a water-based preservative to the hull of the Charles W. Morgan, the Museum’s 1841 whaleship and a National Historic Landmark.
•             Paint the hull of the Joseph Conrad, a full-rigged ship built in 1882. Mystic Seaport uses the Conrad as a center for the Museum’s education programs, providing dorm space and a platform for sail training.
•             Help move and transport historic artifacts in the Collections and Research Center to improve access and promote preservation. The Center houses over 2 million irreplaceable artifacts from fragile documents, to ships’ figureheads, to entire boats.
•             Refurbish the Museum’s public spaces, particularly the Visitors Reception Center, which is a visitor’s first impression of the Museum. The improvements will help Mystic Seaport show its best face to the public.
“Every Year, hundreds of travel professionals take time out of their busy schedules to give back to the sites they love,” said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director and CEO of Tourism Cares. “It is hard work for everyone involved, but it’s a rewarding experience. This event is a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on one of our nation’s landmarks.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2) will address the crowd at 8:15 a.m. to kick off the day.
In addition to their day at Mystic Seaport, the volunteers will have the opportunity to visit the Mystic Aquarium and its new exhibition, National Geographic Crittercam: The World Through Animal Eyes. The Aquarium is hosting a welcome reception for the Tourism Cares volunteers Thursday evening, May 5.
Mystic Aquarium also is generously helping to sponsor the Tourism Cares project, as are Mystic area hotels, and Dattco, Inc.
Recognized as the most innovative “give-back” program in the industry, the Tourism Cares volunteer project began in 2003 in response to a Presidential call for all Americans to volunteer service to their communities. The project is designed to make a visible difference to a site in need and bring the travel industry together to educate its members on the importance, both socially and economically, of volunteering.
The project at Mystic Seaport joins a long list of destinations Tourism Cares volunteers have come together to help, including New York/New Jersey’s Ellis Island, New Orleans before and after Katrina, Gettysburg, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens in Virginia, and most recently, Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. Mystic Seaport is the first destination to be selected from New England.
The Museum will be closed to visitors for the day.
 
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum features a re-created 19th-century seafaring village, over 500 historic watercraft, and a world-class Collections and Research Center housing over 2 million maritime artifacts. Mystic Seaport is also the home of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world.
For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.
 
About Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares is an innovative nonprofit organization formed in 2005 through a consolidation of the National Tourism Foundation and the Travelers Conservation Foundation. The organization works to preserve the travel experience for future generations through a three pronged approach. They award grants to natural, cultural, and historic sites throughout the world.  In addition, they host unique volunteer restoration projects designed specifically for travel professionals. Recognized as the most innovative “give-back” program in the industry, Tourism Cares volunteer project and Volunteer Day draw thousands of corporate leaders and individuals together to share in the conservation and preservation of treasured cultural and historic sites. They also help assure a knowledgeable tourism workforce by granting academic and service-focused scholarships to hospitality and tourism students.
For more information about Tourism Cares, please visit www.TourismCares.org.