The Meadows Foundation will give $100,000 to the Galveston Historical Foundation to help the organization stabilize in the aftermath of hurricane Ike.
Like many Dallas residents, I’ve visited Galveston nearly every summer since I was a kid, staying at places such as Gaidos and Hotel Galvez (where many residents gathered for a tree-lighting party last weekend despite the wreckage). Recently I interviewed, for an upcoming story, some students who visited Galveston’s public high school a few weeks ago. They returned with photos of the beaches littered with remnants of demolished homes, and they returned with stories of gutted shops and families living in hotels.
Before Ike, Downtown Galveston had a fully restored array of thriving businesses, but the area was badly affected, with up to 12 feet of flooding in downtown buildings. The Meadows Foundation Grant will help Galveston Historical Foundation start to undo that damage. More info from Meadows after the jump.
GHF RECEIVES DISASTER RELIEF GRANT FROM MEADOWS FOUNDATION
The Meadows Foundation of Dallas, a long-time supporter of Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF), has announced a new $100,000 grant to help the organization stabilize its operations disrupted by Hurricane Ike.
"GHF is extremely grateful to the Meadows Foundation for this generous gift at a critical time in our history," said Dwayne Jones, executive director of GHF. "This gift reflects the Meadows Foundation’s ability to respond to emergencies with compassion and vision. With the Meadows Foundation’s help, GHF will be able to continue its operations to assist property owners and businesses as we rebuild the historic island."
The special recovery grant is in addition to funds that the Meadows Foundation committed to "Partners in the Field," a GHF program in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, that expands GHF’s preservation services to make for a more environmentally sensitive preservation program.
Hurricane Ike, which made landfall at Galveston on September 13, 2008, caused billions of dollars in damages to Galveston homes and businesses. As residents returned to the Island, GHF staff mobilized as a disaster recovery team to pass out mold remediation supplies and information and help community members assess damage to their historic buildings. GHF staff also began the immediate steps in salvage and remediation of the foundation’s own flooded sites.
Galveston Historical Foundation is one of the largest local preservation organizations in the United States. It is the steward of 13 historic properties in Galveston, and operates historic attractions, educational programs, and provides advice and assistance to owners of historic properties throughout the Island. Galveston’s downtown is federally designated as a National Historic Landmark District. It boasts one of the largest collections of restored 19th-century iron-front commercial buildings in the country. The downtown Strand National Historic Landmark District and the residential East End National Historic Landmark District comprise the largest federally recognized historic landmark district area in the state of Texas.
Over the years Galveston Historical Foundation has succeeded in its partnership efforts to revitalize the island’s historic downtown. Prior to Hurricane Ike, Galveston’s downtown had been fully restored, and boasted a wide array of thriving boutiques, art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. This historic area was severely affected, flooding by as much as 12 feet in many downtown buildings. For more information about GHF, visit www.galvestonhistory.org.
The Meadows Foundation was established in 1948 by Alger H. and Virginia Meadows to benefit the people of Texas. The foundation’s mission is to assist the people and institutions of Texas to improve the quality and circumstances of life for themselves and future generations. A longstanding supporter of historic preservation, The Meadows Foundation was the first recipient of the Texas Medal of the Arts for sustained support of arts and culture in Texas, and was named Outstanding Foundation of the year by the National Society of Fundraising Executives. For additional information, visit The Meadows Foundation website at www.mfi.org.
