Governors Island: It's My Island!
Dear Friend of Governors Island,
It's no longer the Harbor's sleeping beauty: Governors Island has awakened. With over 275,000 visitors at the end of the summer, the Island has hit the tipping point as one of New York's newest and fastest-growing favorite public spaces. It's visible, it's popular, and, most importantly, it's yours!
So how did you enjoy your Island this year?
Did you ride your bike all the way around the waterfront promenade, or did you lounge in a hammock looking up at Lady Liberty? Maybe you and some friends saw Judy Collins sing on the lawn at Colonels' Row, or just grabbed a burger at Water Taxi Beach. Did you take your children to see the cannons at Fort Jay, play soccer, or challenge the mini golf course behind Liggett Hall?
Whatever your favorite part was, we are glad you were able to enjoy more of your Island than ever before, including the new round-Island esplanade, 8 more acres of park space at Picnic Point, and more creative, quality events.
But all this progress hasn't happened by accident. Support from our members this year has helped make great strides in the Island's progress. We write to you today to ask for your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Governors Island Alliance in support of our advocacy and public programs.
Since 1995, Governors Island Alliance has worked to ensure that New Yorkers and their friends and family have the opportunity to visit this unique and wonderful place. We sponsor public programs like the Folks on the Island concerts and our opening day Family Festival. We reach out to Island visitors and use their feedback to help improve your Island experience year after year. We work with students and volunteers to improve the Island and stretch public resources, and to create public programs. Most importantly, we let City, State, and federal officials know how special Governors Island is to people like you.
Last year at this time, it was uncertain whether Governors Island would open at all due to the tough economic climate. But thanks to the Alliance's "Keep the Island Afloat" advocacy campaign, public officials recognized the many people who cared about the Island and its historic buildings, and 2009 became our most successful season ever - with more than double the number of visitors of 2008. The Alliance also helped secure the funding needed to rehabilitate and open key Island resources: Yankee Pier, a new destination for historic and other ships; and Castle Williams, the 1811 fort at the heart of the Island's National Park. We also joined with the Harbor School to celebrate the rehabilitation of the historic hospital building for their public high school - the Island's first tenant.
But in order to sustain this exciting momentum, we need your support. We encourage you to consider becoming a member of the Governors Island Alliance.
Members of the Alliance are invited to private on-Island events and receive special briefings on recent Island developments. There are opportunities for special acknowledgment on our website, annual report and all our summer Island materials.
Being a member of Governors Island Alliance means you are playing a vital role in the ongoing preservation of the National Monument and other nationally significant historic buildings, the creation of over 110 acres of parkland, and the renewal of one of New York's greatest public resources.
Support from Island friends like you is more important than ever in difficult economic times like these, when parks and historic buildings are most often left out of City, State, and federal budgets. We need your help to keep our elected officials on track, to run our volunteer and intern programs, and to produce the free public programs that bring so many faces to Governors Island in the summer.
That's why we hope you'll lend your support by joining the Governors Island Alliance today. Simply mail or fax us our membership card or contribute online through our secure website.
One of things we enjoy most is taking first-time visitors out to the Island. The most jaded New Yorker is taken aback by the Island's beauty, history, and incredible potential. We know that you too appreciate Governors Island for all these qualities. Please take the time to make it truly yours by joining the Alliance as a contributing member. You will be a wonderful addition to our family at a time when we need your help most. We hope to hear from you soon.
See you on the Island,
Ken Fisher Robert Pirani
Chair Executive Director
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