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Old Sturbridge Village Raises $1.83 million in Donations

Anonymous donor gives $1 million

(Sturbridge, MA) January 14, 2008 - Old Sturbridge Village President and CEO Jim Donahue announced today that OSV has completed a successful two-year fund-raising effort, generating $1.83 million for the museum. OSV raised $834,000 in new donations, which in turn qualified it for an additional $1 million matching grant from an anonymous donor.

As an incentive to spur fund-raising efforts, in Oct. 2006 an anonymous OSV trustee offered a $1 million challenge grant designed to increase the museum’s endowment and Annual Fund. Under terms of the challenge, all new and increased gifts would be matched by the grant – up to $1 million. The donor offered a two-for-one match for 2006, and an equal match for funds raised in 2007. By raising a total of $834,000, the OSV exceeded the terms of the challenge and qualified for the full $1 million matching grant donation.

The matching grant is the latest in a string of recent encouraging developments at OSV, starting with a key $1 million state grant secured in 2006 by two Massachusetts legislators -- State Sen. Stephen Brewer and State Rep. Todd Smola. That grant has been used to upgrade exhibits and fund much-needed building maintenance and infrastructure improvements to many of OSV’s historical buildings.

“Meeting the ‘Village Challenge’ has boosted both our morale and our bottom line,” noted Bruce Moir, Chairman of the Village’s Board of Trustees. “The matching grant helped to energize our entire community and to galvanize our fund-raising efforts. We are thankful to the anonymous donor, not only for such a generous gift, but for giving us the perfect opportunity to pull together as a community.”

Donahue said the “Village Challenge” donations came from hundreds of individuals and museum members, as well as from foundations and corporations. “We have a tremendously loyal base of supporters, and this success is a real testament to their faith in this institution.”


Looking ahead to 2008, Donahue is encouraged about the Village’s future, particularly in the area of education and hands-on learning. “The museum recently received a $200,000 grant to support its educational outreach. Last summer we opened a hands-on craft center that has been a big hit with visitors, and this spring we’ll begin offering rides to visitors in our newly commissioned historical horse-drawn stagecoach, a replica of the old stagecoaches that ran the Hartford to Worcester route past Old Sturbridge Village in the 1830s.”

In addition, the museum is working to improve the experience at traditional events. “This year, we will add fireworks to our already popular July 4th event, which drew more than 3,000 people last year,” Donahue said.

Old Sturbridge Village is one of the country’s oldest living history museums, and is the largest in New England, with more than 40 restored antique buildings – farmhouses, churches, working mills, and more - on 200 acres of fields and woods. Famous for its staff of costumed historic interpreters, OSV recreates life in a working farm village from 1790 to 1840, and has been a favorite destination for millions of schoolchildren for more than 60 years.

Old Sturbridge Village is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tues. – Sun. Admission: $20; seniors $18; children 3-17, $6; children under 3, free. For details: www.osv.org or call 1-800-SEE-1830.


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