The 9th annual National Treasures at Point Park, benefiting the Friends of Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. National Treasures is a casual evening of music, a buffet dinner, complimentary drinks, views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River valley, and fellowship with friends who love the community’s National Park.
This year’s theme is “Celebrate YOUR Park” and the public is invited to purchase a ticket to join the celebration. Guests will gather inside the iconic Point Park, with opportunity to stroll the paths of Point Park, experience living history from National Park rangers, and enjoy the sounds of Chattanooga’s own Power Players, from the base of the New York Peace Monument. Umbrella Rock again will open for guests to take “selfies” at Chattanooga’s first tourist attraction (Umbrella Rock remains closed during the year and is open only for this special event). There will be over 50 items available for bidding in the silent auction, along with memorabilia and artifacts on display from local collector and Friends of the Park Board President, Dr. Anthony Hodges.
Each year, more than one million people visit the six units of the community’s National Park – Chickamauga Battlefield, Lookout Mountain Battlefield, Missionary Ridge, Moccasin Bend, Orchard Knob, and Signal Point. In 2016 alone, the National Park brought in $66 million in tourism revenue to the local economy, supporting over 1,000 private sector jobs for a cumulative economic impact of $81 million.
"National Treasures is a wonderful opportunity for the community to show their appreciation and support for the National Park right here in our backyard,” says Tricia King Mims, executive director of Friends of the Park and Friends of Moccasin Bend. “We are so fortunate to have this incredible resource in our area, not only for the economic benefits, but for the rich history and irreplaceable natural and cultural resources that shape our past, present, and future.”
Support from fundraising events like National Treasures furthers the Friends of the Park mission, to promote the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park with efforts to maintain, repair, restore, and interpret the historic and cultural features spread across its 9,100 acres. Yearly allocations from the National Park Service cover the Park’s basic operations, and only a fraction of the maintenance and educational program costs. The Friends of the Park’s efforts help to bridge that gap by making additional programming and community partnerships possible, and managing a dedicated fund for landscape and monument restoration.
Tickets to National Treasures are $75 each or $130 per couple, with a portion of the ticket cost being a tax-deductible donation. For more information, call 648-5623 or visit the Friends of the Park website at www.friendsofchch.org. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Aug. 17.