There was so much to speak about on the Be a part of the Dialog Franklin County Tourism Breakfast on Tuesday morning, March 12.
“Now we have a lot of so many issues right here,” mentioned Janet Pollard, government director of Franklin County Guests Bureau. “The key is out … Franklin County is a good place.”
Main the assembly within the 11/30 Guests Middle on the sq. in Chambersburg, Pollard recapped the historical past of the FCVB and defined half 1,000,000 folks visited the county in 2023. They spent $350 million on lodging, recreation, leisure, eating and retail purchases.
Highlighting this system was recognition of those that assist make Franklin County an incredible place to stay, work, play and go to.
The Neighborhood Impression Award 2024 was introduced to Ken and Bonnie Shockey of the Paul Ok. and Anna E. Shockey Household Basis. Because it was shaped in 2008 to honor his mother and father, the muse has made greater than $10 million in donations, the bulk in Franklin and Fulton counties.
These behind Chambersburg’s common IceFest, previous and current, had been honored with a sequence of Associate for Impression Awards.
Be taught extra about it:IceFest is a showcase for ice carvers across the nation
What’s the legacy of Mr. Nameless?
“As my Dad would say, ‘What’s all of the fuss about?’” mentioned Ken Shockey.
Paul Ok. Shockey was a co-founder of JLG Industries, and for years he and his spouse, Anna, gave anonymously, to the purpose the place she referred to as him “Mr. Nameless.” She acquired uninterested in that, thought her husband ought to be acknowledged and, together with his consent, the muse was created.
“Ken and Bonnie are of the group and locally, stewarding goodness with their smart steering on volunteer boards, serving as lively volunteers in a bunch of roles and by their philanthropy by way of the Shockey Basis,” mentioned Tracy Holliday, government director of The Institute, primarily based in Waynesboro and devoted to guiding the folks of the Cumberland Valley area to change into stewards of their pure and cultural worlds.
Kick-off present to The Institute:Shockey Household Basis donates to nature schooling heart
When the Shockeys discovered The Institute was contemplating shopping for a 40-acre property to create a nature heart, they made the kick-off present of $100,000 primarily based on “a whiff of an concept,” Holliday mentioned. Fundraising now stands at $3 million, The Institute is getting ready to construct a bridge to the property and extra information is coming quickly, she added.
“From their enduring efforts to ascertain and nurture historic Allison-Antrim Museum and Ebbert Springs to upgrading a number of medical amenities and a performing arts heart, supporting historic societies and historic cemeteries, museums — that includes airplanes to aprons — historic gardens and nature facilities, the path of goodness they’ve blazed is various,” she mentioned.
Pollard counseled the Shockeys for paying it ahead and their award says, “You make it occur.”
How did IceFest get so cool?
When Beth Luka, then of the Council for the Arts, urged an ice pageant greater than twenty years in the past, some folks thought she was loopy. However the concept solidified, the primary occasion was held in 2002, and 30,000 to 35,000 folks head to Chambersburg each January to see ice carving and sculptures, go to downtown shops and eating places and luxuriate in actions starting from artwork reveals and demonstrations to a Snowfall Ball and a 5K run to contests and carriage rides.
Luka obtained the Associate for Impression Award 2024: IceFest Visionary & Trailblazer for her “group ardour and imaginative and prescient to make Franklin County an incredible place to go to.”
IceFest was created as and stays a collaboration of the Council for the Arts, the Downtown Enterprise Council and Downtown Chambersburg Inc.
“The sweetness and the brilliance of IceFest is three organizations. There’s loads of heavy lifting, however if you share it, it’s so a lot simpler and retains the occasion recent and energized,” Pollard mentioned. Paul Cullinane of Downtown Chambersburg Inc. and Ann Wagner of the Downtown Enterprise Council — “aka the king and queen of downtown” — had been at Luka’s aspect in 2002 and every obtained a Associate for Impression Award 2024: IceFest Founding Collaborator.
IceFest was began not only for enjoyment however for the event of downtown, based on Wagner, whose household has operated Ludwig’s Jewelers for almost 150 years. She mentioned it’s wonderful the quantity of people that have found downtown Chambersburg by way of IceFest.
Penny Shaul, immediately chair of the IceFest committee, agreed it’s fantastic to have “all these individuals who in any other case wouldn’t come to Chambersburg.” Shaul obtained the Associate for Impression Award 2024: IceFest Industrious Innovator.
M&T Financial institution, represented by Amber Kauffman, was acknowledged for fiscal sponsorship through the years totaling lots of of 1000’s of {dollars}.
“Thanks for seeing the group worth of IceFest,” Pollard mentioned.
Pollard additionally thanked Sara Spitzer of the Council for the Arts, Brittany Shade of the Downtown Enterprise Council and Sam Thrush of the Downtown Chambersburg Inc.
“They work tirelessly to arrange signature occasions, collect volunteers, unfold the phrase, and coordinate collectively to maintain IceFest recent and interesting and proceed to deliver new guests to Franklin County,” she mentioned.
What else was a part of the dialog?
“We’re so pleased with our county, what our county has to supply and we need to share it with the world,” mentioned Lisa Marie Smith, who was named Licensed Tourism Ambassador of the Yr. She attended the assembly remotely and famous she is in Chicago on enterprise this week and has been busy speaking to folks there about Franklin County.
A ceremonial test for $7,300 was introduced to Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance. The cash was raised on the Competition of Bushes, which options timber and wreaths embellished by people, organizations and companies. Guests pay to vote for his or her favorites, and the timber and wreaths are bought by silent public sale.
Pollard introduced FCVB-TV will debut on Wednesday, March 27, at 8:30 a.m. for pc, LED projector and cell system. It’s going to embrace data, interviews and enjoyable, with an opportunity to win a prize each week.
