Lucy Redzeposki, Rockland County director of economic growth & tourism, left, with County Executive Ed Day, announced local grant funding to county non-profits organization on Thursday, February 16, at the Edward Hopper House in Nyack.
A little money can go a long way, especially for an arts organization or other non-profit. Rockland County Tourism recently spread the wealth when it announced some $200,000 in grant awards to local organizations poised to promote the goodness of Rockland County through a variety of programs.
As the county’s director of economic growth and tourism, Lucy Redzeposki has been the high-energy promoter of all things Rockland. She was joined on Thursday by County Executive Ed Day at Nyack’s Edward Hopper House Art Center on North Broadway to award funds to local organizations who have worked hard to promote all facets of Rockland County.
“This is part of an overall strategy that we’ve had to tie in tourism, economic development and support for our organizations, and do it in a smart way,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day about the county’s tourism initiatives in Michael D’Onifrio’s LoHud coverage of the event.
One big local winner was the Suffern Chamber of Commerce, which won a $19,700 tourism grant for its “Explore Harriman” initiative that promotes the western Rockland corridor communities, especially Suffern and Sloatsburg, as the county’s trail town gateway — much like Nyack is promoted as the county’s river town.
A grant from Rockland County Tourism kicked off the county’s Explore Harriman trail town promotion last year, informing possible visitors outside Rockland about the unique parks and recreation destinations inside the county.
The Explore Harriman grant was championed by Alexandria Evans, with partnership from the Sloatsburg Revitalization Committee, and will focus primarily on a visually creative New Jersey Transit train and platform poster program that promotes Rockland County as a parks and recreation destination. Evans works closely on social media and other promotions for the Suffern Chamber of Commerce, as well as locally with design and promotions clients through the Kreative Juice House.
The Explore Harriman effort fits with the current connect-the-corridor initiative along Route 17, from Suffern through Tuxedo, that is advocates closer ties with the surrounding parks and between the communities.
$60,000 of county Rockland Tourism money came from an I Love New York grant, which itself is part of Empire State Development. Other local groups that received money include: Antrim Players, Keep Rockland Beautiful, and Historical Society of Rockland. See the full list of awards here.
#Rockland wants to boost tourism with $200K, partly paid for with a grant from @EmpireStateDev. https://t.co/wFVkNFDlrV
— MikeD_Rockland (@MikeDonofrio_) February 17, 2017
