Here are some of the details regarding the grants that have been received, which will ultimately benefit the Connetquot River State Park Preserve:

Oakdale, NY, June 8, 2010 — Robert Labuski, president of the Friends of Connetquot is pleased to announce the receipt of a Get Set grant of $3000 in support of developing a strategic plan that will set the course for the Friends’ organizational growth and the future use of the Oakdale Grist Mill after it is restored. The funds will be used to secure the services of Susan Mathisen, president of SAM Fundraising Solutions Corp., who will help guide the planning process.

Ms. Mathisen has over ten years experience working throughout the United States and Europe to assist museums and related organizations in capacity-building projects. Her work with the Friends will include focus-group meetings for planning the steps required to build on the organization’s strengths and to expand its membership and donor bases as well as its ties with other organizations in the area.  The resulting strategic plan will help meet the goal of seeing the Oakdale Grist Mill fully restored and used as a museum dedicated to Long Island history.  This plan will also serve to generate new audiences for the museum, its exhibitions and programs.

The Get Set grant, from the New York State Council on the Arts, is administered by the Upstate History Alliance (whose name was recently changed to Museumwise) and is one of a series of grants offered to help museums and organizations such as the Friends of Connetquot strengthen their institutions and work with their communities.  These grants are designed to make it easy for organizations to access professional help and improve their effectiveness.  To learn more about these grant programs, eligibility requirements and deadlines, visit UHA’s website at www.upstatehistory.org or contact them by email at info@upstatehistory.org and by phone at 1-800-895-1648.

The Oakdale Grist Mill is part of the historical complex of Connetquot River State Park Preserve, located in Oakdale, New York.  For more information about the Preserve, visit their website http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/8/details.aspx  or call 631-581-1005.

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Friends of Connetquot is one of nine not-for-profit park and trail groups selected to receive a Capacity Building Grant from the statewide advocacy organization, Parks & Trails New York. The awards are designed to help groups increase organizational visibility and generate community support, grow membership, and attract additional volunteers.

"Grassroots groups play a key role in the development and promotion of our state's many parks and trails which make such a significant contribution to the economy of our cities, towns and villages, as well as to the health and well-being of their residents," said Robin Dropkin, Executive Director, Parks & Trails New York. "Made possible by a generous private donor, these nine grants are a small investment in strengthening our state’s not-for-profit park and trail organizations that will reap big benefits, enabling these groups to leverage more private funding and marshal more volunteer power to better fill the gaps in government spending created by challenging economic times."

Friends of Connetquot received $1,200 for a membership brochure and development of a tabletop display.

Robert Labuski, president of Friends of Connetquot said “Our organization is thrilled by the support of Parks & Trails New York. This grant will allow us to inform the community of the Friends’ ongoing work to restore and maintain the Connetquot River State Park Preserve in hopes that many more people will be encouraged to join us. In the present tough economy, this spectacular natural and historic treasure needs the community’s support more than ever.”

Awards were also granted to:

• Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, Brooklyn, Kings County
• Friends of Grimes Glen, Naples, Ontario County
• Friends of Kinderhook Trails, Kinderhook, Columbia County
• Friends of Taconic State Park, Copake Falls, Columbia County
• Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain, Inc., Valley Cottage, Rockland County
• Owasco Flats Nature Reserve, Moravia, Madison County
• Erie-Cattaraugus Rail Trail, Inc., Orchard Park, Erie and Cattaraugus Counties
• Association for Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces, Inc. Stafford Genesee County

Parks & Trails New York received 55 applications from organizations located in 30 counties throughout the state. This is the second year that Parks & Trails New York has offered this funding assistance.

Parks & Trails New York is a statewide not-for-profit organization that has nurtured New York’s park and trail movements for more than 20 years, helping hundreds of groups and municipalities build, maintain, and promote parks, greenways and more than 1,200 miles of multi-use trails.

The Friends of Connetquot—a not-for-profit organization founded to support and supplement historic preservation and public education programs at Connetquot River State Park Preserve—is, in concert with the State, presently restoring the Oakdale Grist Mill, a historic structure within the preserve. The Friends’ goal is to make the mill operational to expand the preserve’s educational programs and activities and bring Long Island’s mill history to life for the public.

More information on the grant program and Parks & Trails New York can be found on the website, www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583

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The GET READY grants are one of a series of grants offered to museums, historical societies, and historical and educational organizations, such as the Friends of Connetquot, to help them strengthen and develop their institutions and work with their communities. These grants, administered by the Upstate History Alliance (UHA) are designated to make it easy for organizations to access professional help and improve their institutions. To learn more about these grant programs, eligibility requirements and deadlines, visit UHA’s web site at www.upstatehistory.org or contact the Upstate History Alliance, by e- mail at info@upstatehistory.org and by phone at 1-800-895-1648.

Connetquot River State Park Preserve is located in Oakdale, New York and maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals. The grounds of the preserve include a complex of historic structures, dating back to the 19th century and beyond, that once housed Snedecor’s Tavern and the Southside Sportsmen’s Club. There is also a grist mill that is presently undergoing restoration. The preserve operates year round. For more information call 631-581-1005.

Download this press release in PDF format.