Give Local 757, the annual 24-hour fundraising blitz on the Peninsula, returns 10 days from today for a sixth year of helping area nonprofits find much needed support. If you have ever visited or have given a gift to the Watermen’s Museum in the past, you already know that this great little organization makes the maximum use of every penny it receives to create fun-filled, award-winning, educational experiences for children from 2 to over 102. But, for those of you who may not know much about us, here is some information. We provide 15 different historical, environmental, and ecological school and homeschool field trips to over 7,000 visiting children per year. This year, we will offer 8 Summer Camp programs serving local children and those visiting family from as far away as Arizona and Maine. Our indoor and outdoor galleries serve over 30,000 visitors per year. We build and repair boats and boat models. And, we actively support on-going expeditions to explore the 1781 Revolutionary War Battle shipwrecks that still lie on the bottom of the York River. But, that isn’t all. We host or co-sponsor at least a dozen Yorktown concerts, festivals and events each year, some with attendance over 7,000 people. And, we have evening activities such as our monthly Folk Music Jams and Yoga classes, as well as scheduled Contra-dances and other social gatherings. The Museum has been recognized by Chesapeake Bay Magazine as 2018 Best Small Museum and by Virginia Living Magazine as a 2019 Top Wedding Vendor. In 2018, the Museum’s Summer Camps won a Best Summer Camp award from Coastal Virginia Magazine’s Readers. This year, our little organization, with only 2 full-time employees and nearly 100 wonderful volunteers, blew the doors off Coastal Virginia Magazine’s 2019 award categories winning in 6 different titles: Best Local Festival/Event (Peninsula Gold), Best Place to take Out of Towners (Peninsula Gold), Best Museum (Peninsula Silver), Best Local Attraction (Peninsula Silver), Best Summer Camp (Peninsula Silver), and Best Place to Hear Local Bands (Peninsula Bronze). So, please help us continue to serve and excel. We promise that we will put your donation to great use! To learn more about our GiveLocal757 campaign visit https://www.givelocal757.org/watermens
