Olympic Gold Medalist Donna de Varona Adds Momentum to Effort to Save the SS United States
Two-time gold medalist and Emmy award-winning sportscaster Donna de Varona is announcing her support for the Conservancy's efforts to save the SS United States. Her support comes after a recent surge in publicity and a recent fundraising and social media campaign, "Propelled by Champions," aimed at matching a $100,000 challenge grant awarded by donor Jim Pollin. (Watch for campaign results in our next issue.) With 2,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity hanging in the balance, America's Flagship is making her final push to return home to New York in time to avoid being sold for scrap.
De Varona was first propelled into the international spotlight as the youngest world record holder and American Olympic athlete to compete in the 1960 Olympic Games at age 13. Four years later, after establishing some 18 world-fastest and world-record swimming records, she captured two gold medals for the U.S. Olympic swimming team in the 1964 games in Tokyo, Japan. However, due to limited sports opportunities for women at the time, de Varona retired from her sport in 1965, and at age 17 she joined ABC as the first and youngest female sports broadcaster on network television.
Today, de Varona serves on the Executive Board of Special Olympics International and is a member of the International Olympic Committee's Women and Sports Commission. A United States Olympic Hall of Fame and Seneca Falls Women's Hall of Fame inductee, de Varona helped establish the Women's Sports Foundation, where she served as its first president and Chairman. She was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of State's Empowerment of Girls and Women Through Sports council by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Conservancy is proud to welcome de Varona to its Advisory Council, where she will join fellow Olympian Herb Douglas, sportscaster Jim Nantz, and international sports superstar Billie Jean King in championing efforts to save the SS United States. Famed NFL coach Dick Vermeil has also spoken out in support of the ship and has recorded a PSA. Indeed, de Varona's support comes at a critical time as supporters all over the world - and especially in the New York City area - are rallying together to save the ship.
"SS United States fans and supporters are often referred to as 'champions'," de Varona comments, "and it's proving to be an apt moniker. I'm proud to support the Conservancy's efforts, especially during this period of positive momentum. While the Conservancy is working tirelessly to secure a future for the SS United States, I'm calling on all sports and fitness fans - men and women, alike - to help this true champion of the seas by contributing to the Conservancy's fundraising efforts today."
While the Conservancy has raised additional resources in recent months toward the ship's upkeep and curatorial programs, it will have to decide by the end of September whether the ship must be sold for scrap unless it has entered into an option with a developer or attracted major philanthropic support.
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:
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Last Call for Benefit Golf Tournament Players!
|
 | |
Artists Paul Stipkovich and Maria Mijares
|
This coming Friday, September 19th, is our benefit golf tournament, art exhibit and silent auction to support the SS United States! The tournament, being held in memory of Capt. William Francis Kolbe, has been organized through the efforts of countless volunteers, many of whom have donated both time and items for auction.
The day's events 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. (Please see the following article to find out how to bid on auction items if you're unable to attend the event.)
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. Lunch includes your choice of Prime Rib or Salmon; house salad; baked potato or rice pilaf; and green beans. 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.
All donations made to the Conservancy in conjunction with 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 has been extended to the day of the event. To register in advance to help us with a headcount for lunches, please click HERE.
To make a donation to the Conservancy that will be matched by Jim Pollin, please click HERE.
Whether golfer or spectator, come out to support your favorite ship and help raise money for a great cause!
|
Auction to Support America's Flagship
| |
In addition to an art exhibition, our golf tournament this coming weekend will feature a silent auction to benefit America's Flagship. Some, but not all, items are SS United States-related. Auction items will be on display at Honeybrook Golf Club, but you need not attend the event to bid on an item!
Because the SS United States Conservancy is now an ebay charity, all items for the auction are being listed on ebay, with the proceeds going directly to the Conservancy.
A sampling of items posted so far include:
- Three limited-edition SS United States Gicl�e prints by artist Robert Semler, including the one above, which was accepted into the juried 16th National American Society of Marine Artists exhibition that opens next month
- A set of 12 styles of the Gibbs typeface font, inspired by signage found on-board the SS United States and created by graphic designer Greg Shutters
More items will be posted throughout the week, and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Conservancy in support of the ship!
To have 10%-100% of the proceeds from your auction donated to the Conservancy in 3 easy steps, visit our ebay Giving Works Charity page, choose the percentage of your item's sale price that you wish to donate, then click the blue button to list your item!
|
SS United States Exhibition at Independence Seaport Museum Comes to an End
| |
This past weekend marked the final days of the Conservancy's exhibition at Independence Seaport Museum. Over the six months the exhibit was on display, the museum welcomed approximately 58,000 visitors.
The exhibit, SS UNITED STATES: Charting a Course for America's Flagship, opened in March and featured an incredible array of donated and loaned ephemera, photographs, architectural drawings, unique items, and furnishings from the ship. In addition, the exhibit included an "idea pod" in which visitors were encouraged to share their stories, drawings, and ideas for the ship's future.
Designed and implemented by Philadelphia-based Liz Lewis Associates and her team of volunteers, this exciting exhibit lends to the Conservancy's larger mission of conservation -- not just of the ship itself, but also everything related to the United States, 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.
In addition to Liz Lewis, her volunteers, and everyone who contributed items, the exhibit also was made possible by financial contributions from our supporters. To see the complete list of contributors to the exhibit, please click HERE.
|
Special On-board Opportunity for Artists and Photographers
| |
Attention artists and photographers: We have a unique opportunity for you! On Saturday, September 20, from either 11am to 1pm or 1:30pm to 3:30pm, you can join Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs and in-house photographer Christine Hower on a special limited-access curatorial study to help contribute to the historical records of America's Flagship through visual documentation.
General public access to the SS United States is restricted. While limited vessel tours are offered as a Conservancy membership benefit at the Captain's Quarters membership level and above, we are offering this special opportunity to artists and photographers to assist in a creative documentation project.
Guided by the ship's on-location historian, this unique adventure is limited to 8 individuals. The cost to participate is $150 per person, with all proceeds going toward the ship's maintenance costs.
Pre-registration for this opportunity is required and is for Conservancy members only. To register for this tour, please click HERE.
To sign up for Conservancy membership, please click HERE.
|
Your AmazonSmile Purchases Now Benefit the Conservancy
| |
Now when you make your purchases through Amazon, head over to smile.amazon.com first, log into your account and a portion of your purchase price will be donated to the SS United States Conservancy at no additional cost to you!
You're still shopping through Amazon, with all your saved purchases, favorites and wish lists. However, by starting at smile.amazon.com instead of just amazon.com, you're letting them know you'd like a portion of your purchase price to go toward the ship! Click on the image above to start shopping and donating today!
|
Dates in SS United States History
|
September 14, 1961: Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., civil rights activist and the first African American chair of a US Congressional Committee, departs on the SS United States for a tour of Europe. Powell traveled on the United States several times.
September 15, 1950: The Joint Chiefs of Staff announce that the SS United States is to be completed as a troop carrier due to the escalating crisis in Korea. The decision is reversed within two months and the ship is completed as a liner.
September 18, 1936: Two years after the start of construction and one year after her launch, the USS Mahan, the first warship designed by William Francis Gibbs, is commissioned by the US Navy.
September 27, 1963: Actress Rita Hayworth departs New York on board the SS United States. On this crossing, the toilet seat from her stateroom went missing. Years later, a former crew member admitted to stealing it as a souvenir.
September 28, 1942: TIME Magazine publishes an issue with William Francis Gibbs on the cover, with an article profiling his design achievements in conjunction with the US effort in World War II. Nearly 75% of the American fleet during the war was designed by Gibbs' firm.
September 30, 1958: The SS United States completes her 1-millionth nautical mile.
|
|
|
|
Help us to reach more people
in our quest to save America's Flagship.
Thanks to your support, we are now at over 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!
|
|
|
SS United States Conservancy
P.O. Box 32115
Washington, DC 20007
(888)-488-7787
|
|
|
|
|
|
