For Immediate ReleaseJune 18, 2009
Sheryl Hayes
PH: 434-924-6562
FAX: 434-296-4714
Email: sheryl@virginia.edu
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2009
Sheryl Hayes
PH: 434-924-6562
FAX: 434-296-4714
Email: sheryl@virginia.edu
The PNC Foundation and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) recently announced an initiative to creatively honor and preserve the unique history of local communities, events and individuals in Virginia.
As part of the PNC Legacy Project, three Virginia non-profit organizations are the recipients of competitive grants designed to support community-based initiatives. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is managing this grant program on behalf of the PNC Foundation.
“We are very pleased to partner with the PNC Foundation in this exciting project, which illustrates our joint commitment to the area served by both our organizations,” said Robert C. Vaughan, President of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
The following are descriptions of the selected projects that met the criteria for being high impact, highly visible, open to the public, and which use the humanities as a primary resource for engaging diverse audiences:
$5,000 to support photo and oral history documentation of the people, buildings and changes taking place along Columbia Pike in Arlington, leading to an exhibit and related programs to be developed in conjunction with the "Pike's" 200th anniversary in 2010.
$8,000 to support the first phase of a three-part project focusing on 20th century farm life on Virginia's Eastern Shore, beginning with oral history interviews with current and former farmers in Accomack County.
$9,000 to support script development for a one-hour video documentary on Virginia Indian history, covering the period from 1720 to the present day.
"In a time when the needs of Virginia's educational and cultural organizations are greater than ever, this is an exemplary partnership, one that directly benefits our two foundations, our grantees, and the people of Virginia," said VFH Grants and Public Programs Director David Bearinger.
An ongoing corporate-wide initiative, The PNC Legacy Project honors the history of predecessor banks, the employees and officers who guided them through the years, and the communities they serve.
“Preserving history is vital to understanding the very essence of a community,” said Michael N. Harreld, regional president of PNC Bank in Greater Washington. “We are pleased to have entered into this wonderful relationship with the VFH and look forward to seeing how our grantee partners bring the stories of their subjects to life.”
The PNC Foundation receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com).
The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities was created in 1974 to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth. From its inception, the VFH has remained steadfastly dedicated to bringing the humanities fully into Virginia’s public life, assisting individuals and communities in their efforts to understand the past, confront issues in the present, and shape a desirable future.