Touchstone Energy Cooperatives donates $1.3 million
Basin Electric, together with the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives; and Great River Energy, Elk River, MN; have combined to donate $1.3 million for the expansion of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.
Dakota Gasification Company - December 21, 2009
Basin Electric, together with the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives; and Great River Energy, Elk River, MN; have combined to donate $1.3 million for the expansion of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. This gift has resulted in the Touchstone Energy Cooperative Governors Gallery which will
feature traveling exhibits.
Gov. John Hoeven announced the gift Dec. 14 in the main gallery of the North Dakota Heritage Center. He was joined by Touchstone Energy Cooperative representatives, state officials, board and staff members from the State Historical Society of North Dakota and its Foundation, and other Heritage Center volunteers and supporters.
“The Touchstone Energy group’s donation today is a tangible and enduring legacy to future generations of North Dakotans from the member cooperatives,” Hoeven said. “This $1.3 million is a huge step toward raising the $6 million needed to kick off construction of a $50 million interactive museum, a facility that will benefit the state not only from a historical standpoint, but also as an economic asset for North Dakota tourism.”
“Basin Electric was one of the early supporters of this project,” said Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager. “An enhanced Heritage Center will provide tremendous learning opportunities for our youth, draw visitors from across the country, and will give the State Historical Society the space and resources it needs to adequately share this state’s rich history. Rural electric cooperatives played an instrumental role in North Dakota’s history. Supporting this expansion was an easy decision for us.”
The 5,000-square-foot Governors Gallery will host temporary and traveling exhibits, creating regional and world-class blockbuster events that capture the attention of visitors from the region and beyond. It will also be a venue for the State Historical Society to use more of its collections and develop large-scale exhibits that can travel worldwide.
The 2009 Legislative Assembly authorized $51.7 million for the expansion of the exhibits and collections spaces of the North Dakota Heritage Center. Of this, $39.7 million in state funds was appropriated. An additional $12 million must come from private and federal funds, and at least $6 million of this must be pledged before construction can begin. Foundation Executive Director Virginia Nelsen said Development Director Marlo Sveen and his fundraising team have received $3.4 million in private donations to date. She expects that the team will have raised more than the $6 million by the early months of 2010. The groundbreaking has been tentatively set for next summer.
For more information about the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation go to www.statehistoricalfoundation.com or call 701-222-1966.
On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbUasc1ReGw
Headquarters
1600 E. Interstate Ave.
PO Box 5540
Bismarck, ND 58506-5540 USA
701.221.4400
Great Plains Synfuels Plant
420 County Road 26
Beulah, ND 58523-9400 USA
701.873.2100
A subsidiary of:
