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American Express Gives $100,000 Grant to Support Save Ellis Island, Inc.

^{Published on 2010-12-16 06:12:04 - Market Wire}
 

NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Today, American Express (NYSE: AXP) announced a $100,000 grant to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support Save Ellis Island, Inc., the non-profit partner of the National Park Service. The grant will allow the National Trust to help Save Ellis Island launch the next phase of an ongoing project aimed toward rehabilitating and re-opening the 29 unrestored buildings on Ellis Island. This effort includes the expansion of Save Ellis Islanda™s Board of Directors and organizational infrastructure to meet the challenges of the project.

"Preserving iconic historic landmarks like Ellis Island is critical to enabling future generations to understand and appreciate their past"

With a long history of philanthropy, American Express is deeply committed to historic preservation, as evidenced by its recent expansion to the Partners in Preservation programs that, in partnership with the National Trust, will contribute $10 million to support preservation projects in five cities over the next five years. American Express has provided more than $5 million in grants to historic sites across the U.S. over the past five years through Partners in Preservation, and has also supported the restoration of iconic international sites including St Paul's Cathedral, London, England; Mexico City's Historic Center, Mexico; Delhi Heritage City, India; Route 66, the historic corridor that runs between Chicago and Los Angeles in the United States and Easter Island, Chile.

aPreserving iconic historic landmarks like Ellis Island is critical to enabling future generations to understand and appreciate their past,a said Timothy J. McClimon, president, American Express Foundation. aOur company has been headquartered in lower Manhattan for the past 160 years a" in addition to its critical role in the history of the US, Ellis Island is quite literally in our own backyard.a

aOur corporate partners are critical to the ongoing rehabilitation of Ellis Island, and we are thrilled to partner with great organizations such as American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to move our project forward,a said Clement Alexander Price, board chair of Save Ellis Island, Inc. aEllis Island has such a rich, deeply rooted history, and our ability to share this history in a more meaningful way through the restoration of these buildings will enable people from around the world an expanded opportunity to experience Ellis Island.a

This grant from American Express is part of Save Ellis Islanda™s ongoing fundraising efforts to complete the restoration of all the buildings on Ellis Island. Within the past year, the Department of the Interior, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, dedicated significant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to stabilize both the island's seawall and the last of the un-restored buildings, projects that are key to maintaining the islanda™s integrity. The National Trust has also played a significant role in helping Save Ellis Island raise funds for the Ferry Building restoration in 2007.

About American Express

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at [ www.americanexpress.com ] and connect with us on [ www.facebook.com/americanexpress ], [ www.twitter.com/americanexpress ] and [ www.youtube.com/americanexpress ].

About Save Ellis Island, Inc.

Established in 1999, Save Ellis Island ([ http://www.saveellisisland.org/ ]) is the National Park Service fundraising and programmatic non-profit partner for the rehabilitation of the twenty-nine remaining buildings on Ellis Island, with the mission and mandate to raise the funds necessary to create and sustain, within these buildings, the Ellis Island Institute.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation ([ http://www.preservationnation.org/ ]) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history a" and the important moments of everyday life a" took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of Americaa™s stories.

Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island

[ Ellis Island ] was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the site of the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. Since 1990, restored buildings on Ellis Island host a museum of immigration and visitor center run by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.