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Grand Excursion $ request ~~~t' ~~ GRAND EXCURSION 2004'. June 1,2004 Terry Duggan, Mayor City Council Members City of Dubuque 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, lA 52001 Dear Mayor Duggan and Council Members, I am writing to invite the City of Dubuque's financial support ofGTandExcursion 2004 at the $10,000 level. Grand Excursion 2004 is a multi-state collaborative project that has brought together more than fifty upper Mississippi River communities and 25 regional organizations to reclaim the Mississippi River as a treasured natural asset and significant .source of local pride. Grand Excursion serves as a catalyst to engage and educate the public about the river and its past, present and future role in our lives. Its mission is to". . .build upon the history of the Grand Excursion of 1854 to bring together the communities of the upper Mississippi River in a celebration of national and international proportions. It will serve as. a catalyst to generate new programs, forge and renew enduring partnerships, accelerate keyprojects and cultivate awareness of this beautifUl region. " Grand Excursion 2004 is comprised of three primary program areas that have discrete goals and outcomes but together form a comprehensive strategy to ensure the project's lasting importance to this region. Its program of work is: COMMEMORATE...the historic occasion of the original Grand Excursion by establishing a pet1J1å1lel1t legacy and by serving as a catalyst for lasting regional initiatives and improvements along the upper Mississippi River. CELEBRATE.. . the Sesqnicenteunial (150th anniversary) of the Grand Excursion by developing and implementing a series of events focusing on the Grand Flotilla, and through these celebrations increase awareness of and appreciation for tbeMississippi River, locally, regionally, and nationally. EDUCATE.. .throughout thefegionthe significance of the Mississippi River through leaminginitiatives,project-specific curricula and special events. Grand Excursion 2004 will leave as its lasting legacy: . An established network of communities that share the Mississippi River and have a common stake in all issues that effect it; Collaborative efforts to address river-related issues holistically within the region; Increased local, regional and national awareness ofthe Mississippi River as a magnificent natural resource; Improved understanding of the many roles the Mississippi plays in the lives of those who live on or in close proximity to it; A full range of multi-level educational materials that explore the Mississippi River and its past, present and future impact on our daily lives. . . . . The Grand Excursion initiative has already been successful in meeting many of its original goals. It has engaged 55 communities, hundreds of community and civic leaders, such as yourself, and thousand of volunteers. More than 15,000 people have already "signed up" to participate in the Grand Flotilla, with many more to come. Media attention has been unprecedented, with more than 400 newspaper articles, television and radio stories, and travel publications from around the country extolling the virtues of the upper Mississippi River region and its individual communities. Attached you will find a representative sunnnary of accomplishments. Grand Excursion has had generous financial support from corporations, foundations, municipalities, non-profit organizations, and individuals. Woodward Publications has been especially generous in supporting the regional organization. And we are grateful of the support provided by Dubuque Bank and Trust, the Dubuque Racing Commission, and, most recently, Alliant Energy. Weare close to reaching its financial goals but have a ways to go. Attached you will find an outline of our financial supporters. With support from City of Dubuque, as proposed in this letter, Grand Excursion's success will be further ensured. Thank you for considering this request. Sincerely, Patrick Seeb Executive Director Cc: Tom Yunt Scott Lawlor Teri Goodmann REGIONAL CONTRIBUTOR LIST Grand Excursion 2004 recognizes with gratitude the leadership-level commitment of the following corporate, academic and foundation contributors who, through their extraordinary geuerosity, help to make regional Grand Excursion programs and activities possible. $200,000+ Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation F.R. Bigelow Foundation Hamline University The McKnight Foundation The Saint Paul Foundation Watkins, Inc. $150,000 - $199,999 Riverboat Development Authority Xcel Energy Corporation $50,000 - $149,999 3M 3M Foundation Mardag Foundation Red Wing Shoes Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation $20,000 - $49,999 Bayport Foundation City of Bettendorf, lA City of Davenport, lA City of Moline, IL City of Rock Island, IL City of Saint Paul, MN Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation John Deere Dubuque Racing Association Ecolab Foundation Eugene U. and Mary F. Frey Family Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation Jefferson Lines The Saint Paul Companies, Inc. Foundation Wilkie Brothers Family Foundation Xcel Energy Foundation $10,000 -19,999 Alliant Energy Bituminous Casualty Corporation Distributed Web site FedEx Grotto Foundation MAHADH Fund of the HRK Foundation RJ. McElroy Trust Modem Woodmen LA. O'Shaughnessy Foundation Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau Red Wing Area Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau Scott County Board of Supervisors Star Tribune Foundation William and Carol Sweasy Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation TaRO TaRO Foundation Weber Shandwick $5,000 - $9,999 Hugh J. Andersen Foundation Boss Foundation Braren, Mulder, German Associates, Inc. Figge Foundation Philip M. Gelatt Foundation River Action, Inc. Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation $1,000 - $4,999 Anonymous Celebration Cruises Community Foundation of the Great River Bend DMW Design Dubuque Bank and Trust Charitable Fund of the Heartland Charitable Trust Dubuque Convention and Visitors Bureau Great River Bank and Trust Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association Hiway Federal Credit Union Hubbard Broadcasting LaCrosse County LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Minneapolis Community Development Agency Minnesota Department of Tourism Mississippi River Trail THE National Bank Nicholson Family Foundation Quad Cities Development Group Red Wing Visitor and Convention Bureau Sears $1 - $999 Char Mason and Associates D'Amico Catering Curtis C. and Elizabeth M. Roseman SourceOne Marketing Communications GRAND EXCURSION 2004 MEDIA PARTNERS Boats and Notes Dubuque Telegraph Herald Galena Gazette K102FM KARE 11 KCRG-TV KWQC-TV6 La Crosse Radio Group La Crosse Tribune Muscatine Journal Quad Cities Radio Group Quad-Cities Times Star Tribune Winona Daily News WKBT-TV J.1G4 ,~ ACCOMPLISHMENTS To DATE: MAY 13, 2004 Through its varied programs and initiatives, Grand Excursion 2004, its participating cities and partner organizations have already had significant impact throughout the region and success in achieving the original vision and mission of the initiative. Vlsion The Grand Excursion 2004 will build on the history of the Grand Excursion of 1854 to bring together the communities of the Upper Mississippi River in a celebration of national and international proportions. It will serve as a catalyst to generate new programs, forge and renew enduring partnerships, accelerate key projects and cultivate awareness of this beautifUl region. Mission The Grand Excursion 2004 will: EDUCATE throughout the region about the significance of the Grand Excursion through initiatives, educational resources and special events. CELEBRATE the Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Grand Excursion by developing and implementing a series of events focusing on the Grand Flotilla, and through these celebrations bring recognition and awareness to the world. COMMEMORATE the historic occasion of the original Grand Excursion by establishing a permanent legacy and by serving as a catalyst for lasting regional initiatives and improvements along the upper Mississippi River. Following is a small sampling of the remarkable Grand Excursion accomplishments thus far; EDUCATING FOR TOMORROW .:. 825 River Exploration Trunks (RETs) have been placed in schools along the upper Mississippi River Corridor. Privately funded, RETs provide tools to ehhance existing school curricula and invite hands-on multi-disciplinary student inquiry. RETs complement the Grand Excursion youth education initiative, "Your River in Your Town in Your Time" a Grand Excursion Education Program endorsed by the U.S. Secretary of Education, designed to deepen students' personal relationship with the Mississippi and help create the river stewards of tomorrow. .:. Approximately 32,000 individual maps, books, CDs, and videos were purchased for RETs after careful evaluation by 65 teachers, including 23 from the Twin Cities, 8 from Dubuque, 12 from LaCrosse and 22 from the Quad Cities. Over 1000 written comments from these teachers guided the selection of trunk resources, according to national Education Standards. Each trunk now contains between 25 and 40 items. .:. In support of Grand Excursion's Educate Program, Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) has spearheaded 34 River Exploration Trunk training sessions for 560 educators in four states to date. Ongoing training is planned throughout the region including an online graduate level course through Hamline's Graduate School of Education. The course assists teachers with curriculum integration and project planning in tandem with RET use. .:. Six hundred school children from 20 Twin Cities' schools will be coming together for the first ever Mississippi River Fair in May 2004 to showcase their river-related projects inspired by their use of River Exploration Trunks. .:. Grand Excursion has spawned the creation of several scholarly works slated for publication in 2004. Books include "River ofCoriflict, River of Dreams: Three Hundred Years on the Upper Mississippi" by Biloine Young; "Mississippi Escapade, Reliving the Grand Excursion of 1854" by Paul Clifford Larson and Pamela Allen Larson; "The Grand Excursion of 1854, Antebellum America Visits the Mississippi River" by Steven J. Keillor; and "Grand Excursions on the Upper Mississippi River" edited by Dr. Curtis and Elizabeth Roseman. .:. In sunnner 2004, the University of Minnesota, through the College of Continuing Education, is offering three classes with Grand Excursion themes: "How Individuals Experience History: Grand Excursionists Travel Toward Civil War;" "The Once and Future River;" and "The Grand Excursion of 1054 AD: An Archeology Site in Red Wing." .:. Grand Excursion was instrumental in helping to secure funding for the Minnesota History Center's upcoming "Cloudy Waters" exhibit, an interactive installation focusing on the Lakota response to the way in which the Mississippi River has influenced their culture. Mona Smith, a Lakota Sioux, has organized this exhibit which will open June 19. CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT .:. Grand Excursion has developed the Grand Flotilla, a singular event of significant scale and spectacle necessary to ensure regional and national attention. The event was designed in such a way that nearly anyone who wishes to participate can find a way to do so, whether watching the flotilla from riverbanks, spending an afternoon on a train or paddleboat, or riding 10 days on an adventurous bike ride or luxurious, authentic river boat. .:. Nearly 13,000 individual tickets have been purchased to-date on trains and boats comprising the Grand Flotilla. People from as far away as Japan, Germany, California and Oregon have purchased tickets. .:. Over 300 local events in more than 30 participating communities have been planned to celebrate the Grand Excursion along 419 miles of the upper Mississippi Corridor during the ten days of the Grand Flotilla. Community organizers are putting the final touches on events including historical reenactments, art fairs, photo exhibits, walking tours, musical entertainments, Native American cultural events, river clean-ups and educational outings. In the Twin Cities alone, over 140 organizations have pledged to undertake 200+ projects in tandem with Grand Excursion's Celebrate Program. Their efforts represent a diverse range of environmental stewardship programs, capital projects, special events, performances, exhibits, and recreational activities to occur throughout 2004. Grand Excursion Accomplishments- Updated May 13, 2004 2 COMMEMORATING THE LEGACY .:. In February 2003, an interdisciplinary panel of several community members from along the river, selected a Discovery Marker design from ten finalists as a hallmark of Grand Excursion's Commemorate Program. This marker is designed to chronicle each community's participation in Grand Excursion events of 1854 and 2004 and articulate its current relationship with the Mississippi River. A prototype Discovery Marker has been developed and two are already scheduled for installation, one in Winona and one in Red Wing. .:. Two separate 30 minute television specials about the Mississippi River and the Grand Excursion are under development and will air in the Twin Cities and in Cedar Rapids, IA. CREATING A COMMUNITY OF COMMUNITIES .:. 55 communities and 25 regional organizations have signed on as official participants in the Grand Excursion 2004 initiative. The most recent community to join is the Prairie Island Indian Community, Prairie Island, Minnesota. .:. Grand Excursion has hosted or been the catalyst for dozens of intercommunity meetings focusing on river-related events, marketing and tourism, and public policy. These meetings have included elected officials, tourism directors, heads of economic development agencies, law enforcement personnel, and river advocates. .:. Grand Excursion has raised awareness of the upper Mississippi River and its river and community revitalization efforts in Washington, DC with the passage of a U.S. Congressional Resolution of Support. .:. Development of the Grand Flotilla event has created a close collaboration among numerous federal and state agencies including departments of natural resources, law enforcement, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard and scores more. BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE WORLD .:. Over 6,000 people have become members ofthe "Grand Excursion Navigators," a free online program offering members priority ticket opportunities, articles on Grand Excursion history, discounts from partner organizations and spotlights on participating river communities. Grand Excursion has had 22 million hits (200,000 visitors) on its website since its inception and is now up to 4.3 million hits (38,000 visitors) per month. .:. The four participating Grand Excursion states ofIowa, lllinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin have made the extraordinary decision to pool significant state tourism dollars to collectively promote the Grand Excursion through a special insert in "Midwest Living" magazine. The states are also actively and collectively promoting events through travel consultants, web sites, highway installations and printed publications. Grand Excursion Accomplishments- Updated May 13. 2004 3 .:. Grand Excursion has developed partnerships with key media throughout the region, including major television, newspaper, radio, and internet providers from all the key markets. .:. More than 400 television, radio and newspaper stories about Grand Excursion have been published and aired in the past 24 months extolling the virtues and value of the Mississippi River ATTRACTING RIVER INVESTORS .:. Over $3.1 million has been raised to date from foundations, corporations, municipalities and individuals to support Grand Excursion's regional Program of Work. Several foundations have provided funds for economically-disadvantaged youth and their families so they can participate in Grand Excursion activities and cruises during the Twin Cities celebration July 3 to 5. This will enable a hroad cross-section of the community to participate in this historic occasion who would not otherwise be able to do so. .:. Grand Excursion has established a board of directors comprised of 24 civic and community leaders from throughout the region. .:. Grand Excursion has recruited an honorary board of directors, actively chaired by former Vice President Walter Mondale. Members of the honorary board have significant ties to environmental causes, academia, politics and the arts to share the story of Grand Excursion 2004 on a national level. SERVING AS A CATALYST FOR LASTING IMPROVEMENTS .:. Grand Excursion has served as the catalyst for capital improvements in many communities. For example, it was named as the primary reason for the development of a riverwalk in Galena, the restoration of Levee Park in Red Wing, and the accelerated completion of Shepard Road in Saint Paul. To learn more about the Grand Excursion 2004, its programs and participation options, go to www.grandexcursion.com or calI1-866-GEX-2004. Grand Excursion Accompiishments- Updated May 13, 2004 4