 | | Jim Pollin pledges to match $100,000 in donations. Photo by Christine D. Hower |
How to double $100,000
in donations to a worthy cause
"Destroying 'America's Flagship' would be like trashing the
Lincoln Memorial or the Empire State Building."
On June 17, Jim Pollin answered our call for help and made a very generous gift of $120,000 to save the ship's remaining 5-bladed propeller from the scrapyard and allow it to remain on the vessel - where it belongs! At the same time, Jim offered up a challenge: he pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations made to the Conservancy toward saving the ship!
Jim's doubling of your donations during this critical time will help us meet the ship's monthly costs -- and maintain our curatorial programs and collections -- while we work toward securing an agreement for the ship's new permanent location. We are reaching the final stretch in our efforts to Save Our Ship. As has been reported, the Conservancy has only weeks remaining to evaluate the ship's future. Without your continued support, our ability to keep the vessel afloat is in serious jeopardy. Help us take full advantage of Jim's challenge grant by making your contribution now.
In order to help us meet the amount pledged by Jim, we are launching a campaign to raise $10,000 in 10 days! With nearly 10,000 email subscribers and over 12,000 social media followers, if everyone gave $1, we could easily reach our #10Kin10 goal in one day -- and it would all be matched by Jim! But we need your help.
From Wednesday, September 3rd, through Saturday, September 13th, we're asking you to give what you can toward the $100,000 to be matched by Jim. Skip one Venti Mocha at Starbucks, and you can give $5 toward the goal. Brown-bag it for lunch one day, and there's another $10-$20 toward the goal.
And, if you make any donation over this extended weekend BEFORE the campaign starts, you'll get an EXTRA entry to win a very special prize!
Renowned author, illustrator -- and SS United States Conservancy Advisory Council member -- David Macaulay was also inspired by Jim Pollin's generous gift and pledge, and has created a fantastic sketch of the ship's beautiful and spirited propeller. As you know, he is working on a book featuring the SS United States slated to reach the shelves in 2015.
At the end of our 10-day campaign, we'll be giving away a print of the propeller image, signed by David Macaulay himself!
Everyone who uses the hashtag #10Kin10 and re-tweets or re-posts our campaign message on social media will receive an entry to win the David Macaulay print! And, as mentioned above, anyone who makes a donation from today through Monday receives an EXTRA entry to win the signed print!
Help us kick off our campaign by changing your Facebook or profile picture on Wednesday to THIS IMAGE. (Watch our social media channels for a reminder and instructions on how to do this.) You can also tweet the graphic, and post it on instagram. Just be sure to tag @SSUSC and use the hashtag #10Kin10!
We thank everyone who has contributed to the ship in the past, and we thank everyone who makes a donation during this crucial time of having their gift matched. So, start off Labor Day weekend by clicking the Donate link below and help us take one step closer to putting the Big U back to work, and earning an entry to win an original David Macaulay signed print!
Support our efforts now to help save and
redevelop the SS United States --
and have your donation matched dollar-for-dollar!
Also in this Issue:
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 Upcoming Day of Action Outreach Event
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As mentioned previously, the New York Chapter has been planning a day of public interaction at key locations throughout the New York City Metro area to pass out newly-designed large-format postcards, and to talk up the public about the benefits of bringing the SS United Statesback home to New York.
If you're in the area on Thursday, September 4th, please join us for our Day of Action and Pier-side Reception aboard the yacht Lexington. We need volunteers to help us hand out the beautiful and informative new postcards in two shifts, morning and evening, on September 4th.
In the afternoon, from 2pm to 4pm, there will be a reception and press event at the yacht Lexington.
For more details about the day's events or to RSVP, please contact the New York Chapter's co-chairs at newyork@ssusc.org.
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Attention Golfers: $10,000 Hole-in-one Challenge!
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 On Friday, September 19th, a benefit golf tournament, art exhibit and silent auction is being held in memory of Capt William Francis Kolbe to support the SS United States!
The event will be held at Honeybrook Golf Club in Honey Brook, PA, and is open to the public. The Player fee includes cart, range balls, lunch and the exhibit; the Spectator fee includes lunch and the exhibit. A portion of the entry fee is tax deductible.
In addition, All Your Dreams Travel is awarding a $10,000 credit toward an MSC Yacht Club Cruise to anyone who gets a hole-in-one at the 17th Hole from the white tees! To win, you must be registered to play in the tournament.
The day's events also include an art exhibition featuring the SS United States through the works of artists Maria Mijares and Paul Stipkovich, and a silent auction including three limited-edition SS United States Gicl�e prints by Robert Semler.
All donations made to the Conservancy leading up to the event will automatically be matched by Jim Pollin's matching gifts pledge! So, in addition to being tax-deductible, your donation will go twice as far! You can make a donation from the tournament registration page or by visiting SaveTheUnitedStates.org.
The deadline to register for the event is September 9th. Registration fees are due by the registration deadline. To register for the event, please click HERE.
To make a donation to the Conservancy that will be matched by Jim Pollin, please click HERE. |
Buy and Sell on eBay to Support America's Flagship
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The SS United States Conservancy is now part of the eBay Giving Works program.
So, you can now support America's Flagship when you buy and sell on eBay! Here's how:
- Buy: You can find whatever you're looking for on eBay - from baseball cards to new cars and more. When you do, shop for items that benefit us. You can get a great deal and support the SS United States at the same time!
- Sell: You can also support the Conservancy when you sell on eBay. Just designate our organization to receive anywhere from 10%-100% of your final sale price the next time you list something great.
Did you know that charity listings often get more bids and higher prices than regular eBay listings? Boost your sales and support our critical work at the same time! Plus - eBay gives back to you too, with a fee credit on your basic selling fees!
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Big U Duck Suite Replica Key Tag Now Available
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 | | Duck Suite key tag replica |
The second edition of the SS United States passenger stateroom replica key tags are now available! Made in the USA to the same standards as the originals, these solid aluminum tags measure 3-1/4 inches long and 1/8 inch thick, with laser-etched text injected with durable ink.
This particular tag is representative of the one used for the famous Duck Suite, one of the 16 suites aboard the ship. The Duck Suite was always used by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor during the many transatlantic trips they took on the United States.
Special thanks go out to a couple of our supporters for making these available. The tags can be purchased HERE for only $19.52 plus shipping, and all proceeds from the sales go to the SS United States Conservancy.
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Recent Buzz About Big U
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America's Flagship continues to make news far and wide. Below are some of the news stories published in some unexpected media outlets.
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Photo by James Jennings, Curbed Philly.
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- In Columbia Magazine, Phoebe Magee shares with readers the personal connections the Conservancy's executive director and the Redevelopment Project's managing director have to the United States in "Dock Star."
- Bradley Smith of Lehman Volvo in York, PA, shares his knowledge of the ship and helps spread awareness in "The SS United States: Awaiting Revival," an informative and well-written article in the dealership's blog.
- James Jennings continues to share the latest media mentions with Curbed Philly readers in this brief.
- America's Flagship is featured with an in-depth article and video tribute in the Technology column of Ireland news outlet For�sach.
- In the Wings, Rails and Keels section of Hemmings Motor News, Associate Editor Terry Shea writes about the SS United States in "A record-setting ship awaits restoration".
- With more than 130 cruises and transatlantic crossings to date, the author of the TravelsWithAnthony blog shared his perspective on SAVING THE BIG 'U'- WHY IT'S IMPORTANT... Although not written as recently, this article is "spot on" and summarizes the situation most eloquently.
The following appeared in a recent issue of Sea Classics Magazine. The image was designed by Greg Shutters, using a photo of the United States in 1964, courtesy of Nick Landiak. To print and share the full-page article, click HERE.
Anyone wishing to share the article in a publication with which you are affiliated may do so. Please use the image and text in its entirety as it appears in the link above. If you have further questions about use of the article, please contact Chris at chower@ssusc.org.  | |
Photo by Nick Landiak, design by Greg Shutters.
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Final Weeks of SS United States: Charting a Course for America's Flagship
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As we turn the page on our limited-edition SS United States calendar to September, we're reminded that it's time for back to school, the unofficial end-of-summer here in the US, and the last few weeks of our SS United States: Charting a Course for America's Flagship exhibit at Independence Seaport Museum.
 If you haven't yet visited, it's well worth the trip. Designed and implemented by Philadelphia-based Liz Lewis Associates and her team of volunteers, this exciting exhibit supports the Conservancy's larger mission of conservation -- not just of the ship itself, but also everything related to her, from memorabilia to the passenger lists and stories we record through our Legacy Project, as well as keeping her history alive, in everything we do.
The exhibit features an incredible array of donated and loaned ephemera, photographs, architectural drawings, unique items, and furnishings from the ship. In addition to Liz Lewis, her volunteers, and everyone who contributed items, the exhibit also has been made possible by financial contributions from our supporters. To see the complete list of contributors to the exhibit, please click HERE.
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Dates in SS United States History
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August 13, 1948: Bethlehem Steel, New York Shipbuilding, and Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock are invited to bid on the contract to build "Design 12201", the SS United States. Newport News is awarded the contract for $67.3M.
August 15, 1914: The SS Ancon becomes the first ship to officially transit the Panama Canal. The SS United States, unlike her rivals Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, was built to Panamax specifications and could pass through the canal if needed.
August 16, 1851: Collins Line's SS Baltic sets the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, the last American ship to win the Blue Riband before the SS United States over 100 years later.
August 17, 1961: Walt Disney begins shooting Bon Voyage! aboard the SS United States.
August 24, 1886: William Francis Gibbs, chief architect of the SS United States, is born in Philadelphia.
August 28, 1895: Vera Cravath, future wife of William Francis Gibbs, is born.
August 31, 1954: The SS United States docks in New York using her stem anchor during Hurricane Carol.
September 3, 1892: Hildreth Mei�re, the woman later in charge of coordinating the artwork on board the SS United States, is born in New York City. Mei�re's artwork also includes installations at Radio City Music Hall in New York and the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.
September 6, 1967: William Francis Gibbs, chief architect of the SS United States, dies in New York City at the age of 81.
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Help us to reach more people
in our quest to save America's Flagship.
Thanks to your support, we are now at almost 12,000 followers on our
Facebook page! Remember to follow us on the following social media platforms, and encourage your friends, colleagues and family members to do the same!
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SS United States Conservancy
P.O. Box 32115
Washington, DC 20007
(888)-488-7787
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