MARSHALL, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — Illinois governor, JB Pritzker recently awarded $22.5 million dollars to boost tourism and to support Illinois festivals and attractions, with a large portion of the fund going to the Marshall Public Library.
The funding will cover 89 projects across the state through the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant Program. The program is designed to support events like local festivals, and other attractions that will help to increase tourism across Illinois.
$300,000.00 of the $22.5 million will be awarded to the Marshall Public Library for Improvements to the Clark County Genealogy Library.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be selected as a recipient of the Festivals and Tourism grant from Governor Pritzker’s office. We look forward to providing genealogy tourism to our community and surrounding communities with the installation of an ADA elevator and dedicated space for genealogy collections.” Alyson Thompson, Marshall Public Library.
The second round of funding is applied to localities, organizations, and businesses for a broad range of tourism-related improvements, events, and programs. “Illinois is the best place in the nation to visit, and now that people are finding that out through our marketing, our tourism economy is booming,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The Tourism? The Attraction and Festivals Grant Program has been a vital part of that success by restoring and enhancing the great events across our state that draw visitors from around the world. When we invest in projects like these — it reverberates beyond just one event or exhibit. It benefits entire communities — from small business owners who get to attract more customers to families with young children who get to enjoy all that Illinois has to offer.”
