Support Stuhr Museums 2010 Annual Fund Drive

2011 Foundation Annual Fund Drive

"While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many"
-Lady Bird Johnson

The spirit of neighborliness kept our communities strong in the early days of Nebraska. Neighbors could be counted on to help with tasks and to celebrate community milestones. Today, we turn to our neighbors for the same support, but our definition of “neighbor” has expanded to include others from both nearby and around the world. Stuhr Museum examines the links between early Nebraska community members, and reminds us of the importance of community.

Stuhr Museum extended a spirit of neighborliness to central Nebraska and beyond in 2010, a truly notable year. After capturing the most votes in Hampton Inn’s Save-a-Landmark contest, Hampton Inn volunteers took to the grounds and gave a facelift to the Hornady Family Arbor. In May, the museum hosted “Lest We Forget,” a Memorial Day celebration featuring a military timeline and a dedication ceremony for the new Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) memorial in Railroad Town. The museum participated in Grand Island’s first-ever State Fair in September. In December, Stuhr Museum hosted a record 91 trees during the Festival of Trees. In all, Stuhr Museum served over 66,000 people in 2010, coming from 45 states and 50 countries—our spirit of neighborliness spread far and wide.

Volunteers spruce up the Hornady Family Arbor

In addition to our high-quality education programs and public programming, we look forward to sharing the spirit of neighborliness through several community events in 2011. We will share the “Wings Over the Platte” art exhibition in March and April with new audiences, through an artist-in-residency program with Grand Island Central Catholic and Donipan-Trumbull schools and through a series of traveling exhibits and programs that will visit senior centers in Grand Island, Doniphan, and Cairo. On May 14, we thank our supporters by offering free admission on Visitor and Hall County Appreciation Day. Once again, Stuhr Museum will participate in the State Fair, and will be a Blue Star Museum, offering free admission to all active duty military members and their dependents. Through these and other events and programs, Stuhr Museum seeks to be a good neighbor to Hall County and beyond.

We now turn to you, our neighbors far and wide, to help us through the upcoming year by supporting the 2011 “Pride of the Prairie” Annual Fund Drive. As many of you may know, Stuhr Museum and Foundation are in the early planning stages of a capital campaign to renovate the Stuhr Building, the museum’s premier exhibit building. In the meantime, we still require operating dollars to bring you high-quality education, living history, conservation programs, and other special events.

Teaching about blacksmithing at the State Fair

Please consider this spirit of neighborliness with your giving to Stuhr Museum. To give, simply fill out the enclosed pledge card and mail it to Stuhr Museum Foundation, PO Box 1801, Grand Island, NE 68802. You may give via credit card by calling (308) 385-5131, or online by PayPal on the top of this page.

Please help Stuhr Museum share our message with our many neighbors in Nebraska and around the world.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Worthington
Densel Rasmussen

President, Stuhr Museum Foundation Board President, Stuhr Museum Board