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Historic Route 66 turns 100 years old in 2026, and the party has already started! The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership is helping celebrate the Mother Road’s birthday with the Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program. The grant program is one of a series of “birthday gifts” to be given to Route 66 in the years leading up to the road’s Centennial. The Road Ahead was awarded $250,000 by American Express to provide direct grants to help Black-owned and/or operated businesses and attractions along Route 66. The funds will also support research and programs that interpret and tell the stories of Black experiences associated with Route 66. The Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program is part of the Road Ahead’s 100th Anniversary of Route 66 celebration. Through the Centennial, the Road Ahead aims to help the millions of people who live, work, and travel along Route 66 with projects focused on preservation, promotion, research/education, and the economic development of Route 66. The first two rounds of the Road Ahead’s Black Experiences Grant Program were held in 2022 and 2023. In addition to this round of 2024 grants, the program will also be administered in 2025 and 2026. A total of $50,000 (10 awards of up to $,5000 each) is being awarded each year through the Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program. Established in 2016, with the support of the National Park Service and the World Monuments' Fund, The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national and international icon through partnerships focused on promotion, preservation, research and education, and economic development. Applications for The Black Experiences Grant Program are being accepted through Sunday, July 14, 2024, and are available at: RoadAhead.Route66Centennial.org.  The Program is one in a series of “birthday gifts” to be given to Route 66 in the years leading up to the historic road’s one-hundredth birthday in 2026. The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program provides critical and flexible funding to businesses and attractions located along Route 66 that are majority women-owned or operated. The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program is funded in part by a grant from the Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition to direct fundraising efforts undertaken by the Road Ahead, the public may make direct donations to the Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program online (https://100extraordinarywomen.com/route-66-extraordinary-women-initiative/). Established in 2016, with the support of the National Park Service and the World Monuments' Fund, The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national and international icon through partnerships focused on promotion, preservation, research and education, and economic development. The next round of The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program will begin July 5, 2024. Program guidelines, criteria, and applications will be available at: https://roadahead.route66centennial.org/. Up to 10 grant awards of $2,000 each will be made in the next round of the program. The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership is pleased to announce ten grant awards from its Extraordinary Women Micro-Grants Program. The 2024 round of the Micro-Grant program was completed last month, with $2,000 awards made to:
The next round of The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program will begin July 5, 2024. Program guidelines, criteria, and applications will be available at: https://roadahead.route66centennial.org/. Up to 10 grant awards of $2,000 each will be made in the next round of the program.  Left: Flora May Cordova – Route 66 Welcome Center & Gift Shop, Tucumcari, NM. Center: Heather Arnold – Routes Rentals & Tours, Albuquerque, NM. Right: Noelle Sosaya – Rat House Vintage, Albuquerque, NM.  This term leading up to the Route 66 Centennial is a crucial one as we prepare to celebrate 100 years of the Mother Road and implement projects leading up to and into the next century.
These Board of Directors bring diversity, teamwork, and their unique talents and time to our organization. We are so thankful for their tireless enthusiasm and support. The New Mexico Route 66 Centennial Coordination Group is hosting its next stakeholder meeting in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. This meeting will allow residents and stakeholder groups to provide input to the Route 66 Centennial Coordination Group about the appropriate activities, projects and strategies to honor the Route 66 Centennial in 2026. Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Time: 10 a.m.-12 noon Venue: Blue Hole Dive Center Address: 1085 Blue Hold Road, Santa Rosa, NM 88435 Be sure to RSVP for the meeting HERE! If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the New Mexico Tourism Department at (505) 490-7185 at least one (1) week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the New Mexico Tourism Department at (505) 490-7185 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.  |
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