March 27, 2006

First Lady Presents Blackstone Valley Officials with $120,000 Grant for FOOTSTEPS IN HISTORY Preserve America Weekend

Whitinsville, MA. First Lady Laura Bush, center, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, second from right, stand with local and state officials on Thursday, March 9, 2006, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. after Mrs. Bush and Secretary Norton presented them with a $120,000 grant for the Blackstone Valley Footsteps in History Preserve America Weekend program. From left are Robert Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and commissioner with the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Martha Wetzel, Director of Tourism, Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce and, at right, U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.

A total of forty-five Preserve America Grants were awarded. "These new matching grants help local communities promote their cultural resources through heritage tourism. The first grant recipients are receiving a total of nearly $3.5 million and represent 28 states from every region of our nation," Mrs. Bush remarked.

The Blackstone Valley's Preserve America grant will be used to support Footsteps in History for the next two years. The program, which invites visitors to discover the rich culture, arts and history of the Blackstone Valley, will host events throughout the 24 communities that make up the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

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About the Chamber

The mission of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic vitality of the Blackstone Valley and meet the needs of the Chamber's business members, while providing leadership on issues which impact the economy and quality of life in the Valley. The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce serves the eleven towns in the Massachusetts BV Region: Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge. For more information on the Chamber please contact administrator@blackstonevalley.org or call 508 234 9090 X101.