Meeting Overview

Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Format: Hybrid (in-person and Microsoft Teams)

Purpose: Collaborative planning for Suffolk County’s celebration of the

250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Update:

Date for the Suffolk County Kickoff Event - 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on August 6, 2025 at Sagtikos Manor in Bay Shore. Please send a representative if you can't make the date. RSVP here.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 from 11 am - 12 noon.

Would you like to make a presentation at the next meeting, or do you have a discussion topic to add to the Agenda? Please email Kristin MacKay.

If you intend to join via Teams, this is the same login for each meeting. Please note that you will only be able to listen in, and interaction is limited to the "chat" function.

The TEAMS Meeting information is always the same:

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Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 220 316 053 133

Passcode: 6ix2Ap7d

Dial in by phone

+1 929-352-3471,,369211426# United States, New York City

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 369 211 426#

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Update/Progress

Members can find committee information and materials on this link:

Link to the Toolkit

• Links to downloadable promotional materials (logos, flyers, etc.)

• Contact tools, mailing list opt-in, and direct support for groups needing help

Members interested in meeting space before and after these meetings can email Kristin MacKay to reserve space. Kristin.mackay@suffolkcountyny.gov

Welcome & Opening Remarks

The meeting began with a welcome and acknowledgments of progress made since the last meeting. New attendees were encouraged to reach out after the meeting for additional background information.

Announcements

Disaster Recovery Grants: A new federal Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund grant (due July 15) was announced. It addresses historical property damage during the 2023–2024 storms.
Jewish Safety Summit: Scheduled for May 22, hosted by Suffolk County leadership. Contact: Bob Martinaz, 631-853-5027.
New Farmers Market: Launching at the Denison Building Plaza on June 5, every Thursday through October, from 10 AM–2 PM. Emphasis on “Buy Local” and vendor recruitment underway.

**Following the meeting, we learned about another grant opportunity.

The National Endowment for the Humanities grant for Public Impacts Projects Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary/ up to $200,000 with a deadline of 7/9/25.

The website link is: https://www.neh.gov/program/public-impact-projects-celebrating-americas-250th-anniversary

Website and Event Form Update

The event submission form and website are live. Users can now add events to an interactive map.

The links are available on the toolkit webpage.

Form feedback: Users noted limitations for recurring events. Improvements like calendar view and multi-date options are under consideration.
The toolkit includes links to submit events, access the logo, view participant groups, and promote on social media.
Participants were encouraged to begin entering their events. Some submissions are pending approval due to administrative backlog.

Passport Book Program

A working group has been formed and will meet regularly.

Modeled after public library summer reading passports, the museum passport aims to engage youth and families in visiting historical sites with America 250 themes.·

Focus: equitable access, diverse storytelling, and engaging underrepresented communities.

Increase participation at all 250th events and museum 250th exhibitions
Passports will be printed on demand and distributed through schools and libraries.
Logistics being developed:
Each site will have a dedicated “page” in the passport with photo, hours, QR code, and stamp area.
Sites must have set hours and staff to provide stamps. Alternatives (e.g., selfie confirmation for unstaffed sites) are being explored.
Funding discussions:
Pursuing local, state, federal, and corporate sponsorship to print up books.
Planning to hold a follow-up meeting specifically to strategize fundraising efforts.
Grants office engagement and legislative outreach in progress.
State funding: $5M budgeted statewide, with 45% allocated to education, 45% to state parks, and 10% to the commission. Disbursement as county block grants is expected, pending further guidance (June 3 Commission meeting).

** The following information was received after the meeting on 5/14:

Hi Kristin,

I was speaking with Nassau Suffolk School Board Association (NSSBA) Executive Director Bob Vecchio. He was at the meeting virtually, but did not catch the entire discussion on passports. His advice for fostering school district involvement is to work through the Suffolk County Superintendent Association. He has already spoken with the incoming President of the Superintendent Association King Park's Superintendent Dr. Tim Egan. He recommended that Dr. Egan come to a meeting shortly after taking office. NSSBA will assist in anyway they can.

Regards,

Bill Doyle

Certificates & Press Event

Participating organizations will receive a commemorative certificate, inspired by the 1976 bicentennial model signed by President Ford.

Attendees were asked to submit the exact wording for their certificates and name badges. If you haven't submitted it, email Kristin with the following information:

The Name of the Organization for the Certificate

Your Name and Title at the above organization for your name badge.

**A press event and official kickoff is being planned, tentatively in mid-July—possibly at Sagtikos Manor. The event will include a lunch and certificate distribution.

Best time for media: 11 AM–12 PM. County Communications Office will manage media outreach.

** Note - we are still working on a date and I will send an email when we have one.

Discover Long Island Briefing

Discover Long Island (DLI) provided a detailed presentation on their mission, impact, and marketing tools:
Origin: Founded in response to the economic downturn of the 1970s to promote regional tourism.
Structure: A public-benefit nonprofit funded by hotel/motel tax revenue.
Marketing Strategy:
Focus on social media (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), print guides, and interactive apps.
Use of advanced data analytics (geolocation and credit card data) to target tourists.
Events and attractions featured in digital and print formats, including kiosks in high-traffic areas.
Partnership Tiers:
Entry-level participation begins at $300/year for cultural organizations (e.g., historical societies), with higher tiers available.
Free services are limited to hotels collecting occupancy tax.
Currently building out content for 250th-related destinations and open to collaboration.
Encouraged historical societies to connect directly to upload information and events to their site and app.

Discussion & Q&A

Participants explored the feasibility of creative alternatives for event participation (e.g., libraries verifying visits to unstaffed sites).
Suggestions included:
Including a map of all Revolutionary War-related sites.
Developing media contact lists for promoting individual events.
Discover Long Island affirmed readiness to build partnerships with museums and societies.
Requests were made to integrate the 250th map with Discover Long Island’s platform.

Next Steps & Closing

Passport working group to meet again on JUNE 11th at 9:30 am before the main meeting, and then a bi-weekly schedule will be created for follow-ups
Certificate forms to be submitted ASAP.
Toolkit and event form to be updated with improvements.
Attendees were thanked, and physical copies of Discover Long Island’s Inspiration Guide were distributed.
Members encouraged to Join and post events in the Facebook group Long Island 250

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