USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc.

Providence - A Rhode Island family foundation and its founders has committed a major gift and bequest to the non-profit USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc. The gift and bequest, representing a combination of cash and personal property having an aggregate value of at least $1,000,000 is by far the largest contribution made to date to support the effort to create a family attraction, educational center and memorial at Quonset/Davisville, featuring the aircraft carrier Saratoga as the centerpiece.

The commitment is conditioned on the Quonset Development Corporation Board's adoption of a recent recommendation by Governor Donald L. Carcieri to reserve mooring space at Quonset for the carrier. The Governor's proposal would give the Foundation two years to raise $10 million without tapping State funds. It comes up for ratification by the Quonset Development Corporation Board at their 5PM meeting on Monday, June 20.

Details of the elements of the gift and bequest and the timing of release of the funds was not announced, although both parties acknowledged that "some" cash had already been made available to the Saratoga operation in addition to the pledge. The gift and bequest of both cash and museum artifacts are conditioned upon the project attaining an additional $9 million in pledges.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have secured this kind of private philanthropy for a community resource," said Frank Lennon, President of the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc.

"To secure a gift of this magnitude in these tough budget times demonstrates the enormous resonance of this project. It validates the faith that our previous 1800 donors showed when they made contributions to keep us going, and it also proves to our more than 400 hard-working volunteers that the 175,000 hours they put in over the years has not been in vain.

"Just as importantly, it should give pause to those who have opposed our project because they don't think we can raise the money.

Asked why it had taken so many years to get a capital campaign going in earnest, Lennon replied, "We have always contended that we could not effectively generate major corporate sponsorships and foundation contributions until we had site control, along with approval from the state to move forward. The release of the Governor's letter, even before ratification by the Quonset Board, has already had a significant impact on our ability to raise money."

Underscoring that point, Lennon reports that cash donations in May "increased fivefold" over the previous month.

"This contribution really does prime the pump," said retired Navy Rear Admiral Don Weiss, now with Lockheed Martin. Speaking from his Washington, DC office, Weiss confirmed that his efforts will be to get his and other companies to take a long hard look at ways to support this inititative. "I would expect all defense contractors will see the wisdom of climbing aboard a project like this. This effort clearly presents the military in a very positive fashion, and offers all Defense Companies a way to get their message and products in front of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers each year."

"The local business and financial communities should respond very favorably to this donation," said former Congressman Bob Weygand, Honorary Chairman of the Saratoga Board of Trustees. "This kind of investment represents the type of creative thinking and partnerships that will push this project forward. In the end, this means more jobs, more dollars spent in the community, and more vitality for our state."

The USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit and an all-volunteer group, has worked for seven years to turn the vision described above into reality. Further information can be obtained at http://www.saratogamuseum.org

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Last Updated:
6/24/05