Destination Gettysburg Donates $100,000 Toward the Gettysburg Welcome Center (GWC)
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
CONTACT:
Mary Grace Kauffman, Media Relations Manager
Destination Gettysburg
(717) 338-3061
marygrace@destinationgettysburg.com
Destination Gettysburg Donates $100K to Welcome Center Project
Main Street Gettysburg plans to open building by 2026
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – January 16, 2024
To invest in the future of the community and tourism industry, Destination Gettysburg recently donated $100,000 to Main Street Gettysburg to kick off the operations endowment campaign that will support a downtown Welcome Center.
The Gettysburg Welcome Center, to be located at 340 Baltimore Street between Steinwehr Avenue and Lincoln Square, will serve as a hub for tourism and event information and provide public restrooms.
Destination Gettysburg will further support the initiative by staffing the welcome center with visitor service representatives and supplying the facility with brochures and other informational materials.
“We see the new welcome center as a key touchpoint for visitors and residents, where they can get information on everything to see and do in Gettysburg and Adams County, get questions answered, and orient themselves as they explore our area,” Destination Gettysburg President and CEO Karl Pietrzak said.
Donations like Destination Gettysburg’s will be key in helping Main Street Gettysburg reach its capital goal of $1.5 million for construction costs and endowment goal of $1 million for operations. Local grant match funds total approximately $425,000 currently.
“Partners like Destination Gettysburg are enabling the sustainability of the facility to benefit the community for generations to come by contributing to the endowment,” Main Street Gettysburg President and CEO Jill Sellers said.
Main Street Gettysburg has been working toward this project since 2017 and is also collaborating with the Borough of Gettysburg, Adams County Historical Society, Adams County Community Foundation, the Gettysburg Foundation, and other community organizations to develop a joint venture responsible for operation of the facility.
“Gettysburg does not currently have an information center downtown,” Sellers said. “Gettysburg’s major economic driver is historic tourism, and Baltimore Street plays a major role in moving people to experience the historic attractions and unique places of interest. Its health and accessibility are critical to economic stability and growth.”
Main Street will launch a capital campaign this year to support the welcome center project, with a goal of opening in time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026.
“Destination Gettysburg is proud to partner with Main Street Gettysburg on this much-needed project and looks forward to the Gettysburg Welcome Center being an anchor for our visitors and community,” Pietrzak said.
Destination Gettysburg, the official destination marketing organization of Adams County, Pa., promotes Gettysburg and Adams County as a premier travel destination to benefit and enhance our community by sharing history and creating new experiences.
Photo cutline: Destination Gettysburg President and CEO Karl Pietrzak and Destination Gettysburg Board Chair Nathan Mares present a $100,000 check to Adams County Community Foundation President and CEO Ralph Serpe and Main Street Gettysburg President and CEO Jill Sellers. The funds will support the operations endowment campaign for the Gettysburg Welcome Center.