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The most enduring highway in our public consciousness, Route 66 represents a unique moment in history that continues to define the nation’s identity: the rise of the automobile and its implications of freedom, mobility, and a quintessential American story. Grants from this fund will help preserve and enhance historic places on or connected to Route 66 for future generations. Grants from the Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund are awarded to preserve historic places on or connected to Route 66. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to ongoing efforts. Grants awards may be made for activities and projects such as:
Grants range from $2,500 to $10,000. Applications due October 16. APPLY TODAY  In an effort to help New Mexico communities and organizations along Route 66 prepare for the celebration of the Route 66 Centennial in 2026, the state has officially launched a grant program to support those efforts. The program offers support for three types of projects and initiatives: marketing & promotions, infrastructure, and special events. Applications for this program are open as of July 15! Applications for marketing and promotion will close August 13 and applications for infrastructure and special events will close August 19. For more information, visit the New Mexico Tourism Department website.  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.  The New Mexico Route 66 Association announced it is the recipient of a $50,000 Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “This is an extremely high honor for the Association, and I am proud to see us recognized with this funding for our state preservation efforts,” said Melissa Lea Beasley-Lee, President of the Association.
Funds are being used to help restore many neon signs along Tucumcari’s stretch of Route 66 that were destroyed last year in a massive hailstorm. “The devastation was spread across town,” Beasley-Lee added, “and it was as if the lights went out on Route 66. We're working with businesses to replace broken parts of signs to bring them back to their shining glory again.” Businesses affected were predominantly small mom-and-pop enterprises that could not afford the financial and human resource commitment needed to repair their signs along what is arguably one of the most-photographed and admired segments of the Mother Road. “We have made multiple trips to Tucumcari to coordinate volunteers and work together to bring the magic back to this city,” she explained. The economic impact of tourists coming each year to Tucumcari specifically, and New Mexico Route 66 in general, is tallied in the many millions of dollars, and one of the main attractions is vintage signs. To be able to photograph them in operating order is typically a highlight of a Route 66 journey. The Association is no stranger to neon restoration and preservation, and in the past has contracted commercial sign companies to enable restorations. “This year, the Association has moved to a do-it-yourself capability, establishing a skilled volunteer crew to service classic roadside neon signs,” Beasley-Lee continued. “Small businesses face a cost-prohibitive situation when attempting to hire commercial sign crews, which is exacerbated for rural communities like Tucumcari where the closest commercial sign companies capable of servicing neon signs are located more than 100 miles away.” She explained that Association crews have recently saved these business owners up to 90% of the cost of repairing a sign. Efforts are ongoing until all damaged signs are repaired. Prior to the storm, work had begun creating a 30-minute Do-It-Yourself video of how to repair neon signs. It was funded by the National Park Service, with the intent for it to be made available online free of charge. The scale of the storm in Tucumcari and subsequent repair efforts provided an opportunity to have hands-on examples for more videos. The Association captured extensive video footage of the repair process, and now, as a result of these grant monies, two more videos will be produced to create a comprehensive three-part video series. “We documented every step of the process, not only for historic value, but also so that others could learn from them in the future,” Beasley-Lee commented. The completed video series will include: (1) Inner workings of a neon sign, steps to replace broken glass, lift options to reach your sign; (2) Troubleshooting a neon sign: Why is part of my sign not lighting? Why is it blinking?; and, (3) How to build a frame, bend glass, and mount a neon sign. Lastly, the Association intends to offer a free downloadable .pdf checklist to assist in assuring each step has been covered while working on a sign. “Neon signs are among the most important aspects of Historic Route 66,” Beasley-Lee asserted. “It is critical that we keep as many working as possible, while also enabling owners to do their own repairs whenever it is feasible.” For More Information, please contact: New Mexico Route 66 Association Melissa Lea Beasley-Lee, President 505-803-6966 [email protected] [email protected] |
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