Recent grants boost fundraising of history museum project

by Dan McClelland

When they are not continuing with their renovations at the new Tupper Lake History Museum on Upper Park Street, the volunteer board members are working full speed on grant applications to assist the local fundraising work.

The board of directors of the local museum, under the direction of Chairwoman Kathleen Lefebvre, is committing a good share of its recent donations to getting their new place finished for a grand opening this summer.

-And there’s been plenty of good news in recent months.

The museum board received a $5,000 donation recently from the Aseel Legacy Fund, created by the family of the late Alfred Aseel in support of good projects here.

More good news came on the back of that generous donation- this time from an anonymous donor, who sent along a check for $5,000.

On the last day of March last week the museum fundraisers received even more good news- this time from the Adirondack Foundation. The local foundation awarded a grant of $2,500 through its Generous Acts fund “for bringing the Great Room to Life.” Partnering with the Generous Acts program of the Adirondack Foundation is its Fund for Tupper Lake.

The last piece of great news came from Leslee Mounger, funds and program officer at the foundation to Museum Board Member Joe Kimpflen, who wrote the grant application.

“We are so thankful to the very community-minded folks at the Adirondack Foundation, at the Aseel Legacy Fund and from our anonymous donor for helping us with our renovations and believing in the importance of a vibrant local museum to tell some of the history of our community,” Kathleen Lefebvre said this week.

“We will be open for business again this summer, thanks to these recent donors and to the many people who have donated to our project in recent years!”

Several other grant applications have been filed in recent weeks by the museum volunteers who are anxiously awaiting the results. The largest is a $10,000 “Destination Development and Marketing” grant application that was filed to the Franklin County Tourism Department by Monday’s deadline by Mr. Kimpflen. The application followed a meeting Tourism Director Phil Hans had with Mrs. Lefebvre and Board Member Dan McClelland last month at the museum site.

The museum board’s fundraising efforts continue and donations can be sent to the Tupper Lake History Museum, P.O. Box 824, Tupper Lake.

Once all renovation costs are covered, the campaign will devote all donated resources to paying off the building’s $100,000 mortgage.

The names of all donors will continue to be published in the Tupper Lake Free Press.

Watch for a story on the museum renovations and other development there in upcoming issues.