Community News Opportunity to Highlight Local Service Efforts
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — From students and families to civic groups and historical societies, volunteers across New York State will learn about history and help beautify their communities by cleaning local historic markers during National Historic Marker Day on Friday, April 28.
Without proper maintenance, historic markers can deteriorate from contaminants such as road salt, dust and pollen. National Historic Marker Day, which was established in 2021 by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, is a community-service celebration that brings people together to clean markers so they can be enjoyed now and by future generations. A list of registered volunteers from New York State and nationwide is on the Pomeroy Foundation’s website.
“This year’s National Historic Marker Day is our largest celebration yet, with more than 2,350 individual volunteers throughout the United States,” said Deryn Pomeroy, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Pomeroy Foundation. “People recognize the important role markers play in their communities such as educating the public and promoting tourism. We are grateful to everyone who has made the commitment to give back to their communities by cleaning historic markers on April 28.”
News outlets are invited to cover the volunteer efforts. Information about National Historic Marker Day is available on the Pomeroy Foundation’s website, wgpfoundation.org, which includes a downloadable kit for volunteers. This free resource includes a step-by-step guide to cleaning markers, information about planning your day, lesson plans and child-friendly activities.
Volunteers are encouraged to share their marker-cleaning photos on social media using the #NationalHistoricMarkerDay hashtag. Participants should comply with their local safety and parking regulations, as well as seek permission when planning their marker cleaning project. To locate markers in your area, go to The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org) or visit the Pomeroy Foundation’s marker map at: https://www.wgpfoundation.org/history/map/.
About the Pomeroy Foundation
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Established by Trustee Bill Pomeroy in 2005 to bring together his two greatest passions, the Pomeroy Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historic roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded more than 2,100 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 48 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.
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Media Inquires
Kathy Coffta SimsDirector of Communications
William G. Pomeroy Foundation
kathy@wgpfoundation.org
315-913-4067