Glenn Blumhorst (Guatemala) Reports on Peace Corps Park

I am excited to write today with some great news on our latest fundraising effort. Last month we announced a $500,000 gift commitment for Peace Corps Park from Ms. Jacqueline Mars, provided that we raise an equivalent amount to match. In the four weeks since, we have met the first $250,000 of the challenge and are well on our way to matching Ms. Mars’ entire gift! The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation board of directors and advisory board led the way, with dozens of others responding enthusiastically and giving our campaign heightened momentum.

Meanwhile, Foundation board directors and our Peace Corps Park design team convened in Washington, D.C. with the National Park Service, as the final design is refined to perfection. Details like the placement of inscriptions on the granite benches, selection of lettering font, and accessibility measures are now nearly finalized. We anticipate approval of the final design by the National Park Service and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts within the next few months.

The Peace Corps Park team has expanded, too. Partnering with the design team, world-class stone letterer Nick Benson has been called on to carve the inscriptions onto the Park’s three granite benches. I’m delighted to also share that the Foundation has hired Arianna Richard (Eswatini 2019-21) and Greg Emerson (Peru 2002-05) to lend their expertise to the campaign. They join a cadre of volunteers including Jocelyn Cordell, Aida Downing, and Nancy Kelly (South Korea 1979-81) who give generously of their time and talent.

Finally, I must underscore the tremendous commitment of the Foundation’s board of directors and advisory board to the campaign for Peace Corps Park. Their exemplary financial, technical, and visionary leadership has been indispensable to our mission. Board Chair Roger Lewis alone has contributed an estimated 10,000 hours of professional services to the Foundation during his 15+ years of involvement.

You, too, can be an integral part of this legacy initiative by becoming a supporter – a gift of any amount will make a difference, and your impact would be multiplied by becoming a recurring donor. Thank you to everyone who has generously supported our mission so far!

Join me and thousands of others who are leading the way to bring the Peace Corps community’s flagship project to fruition. Your generosity is your legacy!

Yours in service,

Glenn with two friends (not PCVs)

Glenn A. Blumhorst

Chief Advancement Officer
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation

President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association (2013-22)
RPCV Guatemala (1988-91)

GBlumhorst@PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org

PCCF Welcomes New Advisory Board Member
Our advisory board serves the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation as a champion for Peace Corps Park and a valuable source of strategic insight. Members share their gifts in service to the Foundation’s mission by providing their professional expertise, diverse knowledge of constituent perspectives, connections to local, national, and international resources, colleagues or peers, philanthropic support and many other forms of assistance. This month, we are excited to welcome former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to the PCCF Advisory Board.

Tom Wolf was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 47th governor on January 20, 2015 and served two terms, leaving office on January 3, 2023. Before that, he served as Pennsylvania state revenue secretary under Gov. Ed Rendell from 2007-2008. He grew up in a small south central Pennsylvania town in York County and left to attend Dartmouth College.

An Opportunity From One of Our Partners

Our collaborators at the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience seek your input in their strategic planning process. Help shape the future of the Museum by sharing your thoughts about the visitor experience in this 5-minute survey. All participants will be entered to win a catalog from the Museum’s recent Posting Peace exhibit.

The Museum will be a primary contributor of curated content to Peace Corps Park’s “digital companion” to help tell the Peace Corps story. Moreover, we believe that the world needs more cultural institutions focused on peace through understanding. If you’d like to learn more about joining the Museum’s volunteer team or contributing to the Museum, visit their website or contact them at info@peacecorpsmuseum.org.