Les Amis du Fort de Chartres Announces an Illinois DCEO Tourism Private Sector Grant Award for the 2024 Annual Special Events at Fort de Chartres
On March 8th, 2024, Les Amis du Fort de Chartres was informed that an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Tourism Private Sector Grant was awarded for the 2024 Annual Special Events at Fort de Chartres. The grant application for three annual Fort de Chartres special events sponsored by Les Amis de Fort de Chartres was submitted through Discover Downstate Illinois (ILLINOISouth Tourism), the Convention and Visitors Bureau for 21 counties, and 2 cities, in South Central Illinois. This matching grant award of $44,205 was made in support of Les Amis du Fort de Chartres’ sponsored annual special events at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in 2024 – Fort de Chartres Colonial Market Faire, the 54th Annual Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, and Fort de Chartres Winter Rendezvous & Woodswalk.
The DCEO grant money will be a match to the yearly expense Les Amis du Fort de Charters currently spends to sponsor these three events and will enable LAdFdC to have the ability to advertise and enhance the events more broadly. As exciting as it is to receive this matching grant for special events, the funds from this DCEO grant do not replace the regular event income and sponsorships. The regular income for our 2024 special event expenses will still have to be obtained through our annual event fundraising efforts and event fees. The matching funds from the grant are to be used for the marketing, promotion, and enhancement of the events—allowing a real opportunity to showcase and grow special events at Fort de Chartres and attract visitors from the wider metropolitan area. It is a wonderful opportunity and a positive step in the continuation of special events going forward! The increased number of tourists and participants coming into our region because of these efforts will bring new revenue to the events and the businesses throughout our area.
LAdFdC thanks the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for this Private Sector Tourism Grant Award. Additionally, we thank Downstate Illinois for submitting a grant application on our behalf, and to our LAdFdC grant team of Jennifer Duensing, Carol Kuntz, and Jody Graichen for their work assembling and writing grant materials. We also thank Illinois Humanities for previous grant support for LAdFdC’ sponsorship of Fort de Chartres special events and as always, our tremendous gratitude to all of those businesses and individuals who donate and take ads in our FdC Rendezvous Booklet each year to support the annual special events at Fort de Chartres. We really couldn’t continue to present special events without you!
As exciting as it is to receive this matching grant for special events, the funds from this DCEO grant do not replace the regular event income and sponsorships. The regular income for our 2024 special event expenses will still have to be obtained through our annual event fundraising efforts and event fees. The matching funds from the grant, as we have mentioned in a previous post and press release, will be used for the marketing, promotion, and enhancement of the events—allowing a real opportunity to showcase and grow special events at Fort de Chartres and attract visitors from the wider metropolitan area. It is a wonderful opportunity and a positive step in the continuation of special events going forward!
