The Eastern Oregon Visitors Association is the recipient of a $12,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation.
The grant is largest ever given to the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association (EOVA) by the foundation, according to EOVA Executive Director Alice Tindle.
The Oregon Community Foundation promotes the visitor experiences of the 11 counties east of the Cascade Mountains in the state of Oregon.
“We are so pleased to see the continuing support of the Historic Trails Fund within the Oregon Community Foundation for our efforts to keep the Oregon Trail as a vital visitor attraction for the region and the state,” said Timothy Bishop with Baker County Tourism, and current president of EOVA.
The Historic Trails Fund was established shortly after the Sesquicentennial of the Oregon Trail in the 1990’s and is funded as dollars are collected from the sale of Oregon Trail license plates. Each fall, the Oregon Historic Trails Fund awards grants to support projects that interpret, preserve or maintain Oregon’s trail-related resources. Grants may also be awarded for marketing, education, advocacy and research relating to historic trails.
An advisory committee — comprising people knowledgeable about Oregon’s historic trails and cultural resources — reviews grant applications and makes recommendations to Oregon Community Foundation’s board of directors. Approximately $40,000 is available each year.
“This marks over 10 years of support from the Oregon Historic Trails Fund directly to Eastern Oregon Visitors Association in assisting with advertising the Oregon Trail, fulfilling request for information, and keeping the Trail as a core heritage attraction for visitors to our region,” said Bishop. “We are extremely grateful.”
