Four International Sports Heritage Association members are the recipients of $3,750 in grants made available through the organization’s Founders Fund.
Money for the Founders Fund comes from a Silent Auction, and other fund-raising ventures held at the annual conference and throughout the year. The annual conference will be held Oct. 23-24 at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita.
A $2,000 Special Projects Grant was awarded to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame to rehouse the Museum’s oldest collection of rodeo and Wild West Show artifacts: the Hafley-Shelton Collection.
According to Megan Winterfeldt, exhibits and collections coordinator, the collection of more than 600 artifacts includes clothing, props, and personal items related to the California Frank Wild West Show and Rodeo which began in the early 1900s. The items are in old archival boxes that were used for shipping when the show traveled. The project will create new and stable mounts for all the pieces. With new housing, the artifacts will be preserved for future generations to learn about rodeo’s early days.
A Travel and Conference Grant (maximum $1,000) was awarded to Kyle Moore, assistant program director of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Moore’s well-prepared application detailed how attending the conference sessions and networking will benefit both him and his institution.
Additionally, grants covering the $375 cost of ISHA Conference registration were awarded to Danny Lamoureux, of the Canadian Curling Association, and to Alan Penner, of the Oklahoma Sports Museum.
Mr. Lamoureux is director of the Curling Club Development and Championship Services in Orleans, Ontario. It does not have a brick and mortar facility but is mobile, digital and augmented reality experience.
Mr. Penner is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Sports Museum and is eager to network with other sports museums.
A Silent Auction is held during the annual conference, which will be hosted by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita in October. Silent Auction items are being collected from member museums and vendors for the Oct. 23-24 event. A list will be shared prior to the conference so all members will have an opportunity to bid on the packages ranging in value from $100 to nearly $1,000.