The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) presented Daytona Beach, FL native Preston Root with its Legacy Award during its annual conference hosted by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America September 26-28, 2023. Root is the fifth recipient of the award, which ISHA created in 2018 to recognize an individual or organization located in the geographical area of the annual conference in order to provide an opportunity for the host to honor a local sports heritage contributor.

Root grew up in the shadows of Daytona International Speedway. Born in 1962 across the street from the Speedway at Halifax Health, he and his family have lived in Daytona Beach for three generations. Preston spent 32 years in the Root family’s heritage business Root Glass Company that designed, patented and manufactured the Original Coca-Cola bottle in 1915 and was a radio broadcaster for MRN Radio, The Voice of NASCAR.

He has been a part of successful broadcast teams at most of the NASCAR venues and the largest events in motorsports, including the Daytona 500, The Brickyard 400, Mobil 1 Sebring 12 Hours and 24 Hours of Le Mans. He retired in 2017 and a year later returned to the Root Families Heritage business as Chairman of the Family Board of Directors to assist in a successional transition. Root also serves on the Board of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Root’s service to the community spans four decades. He has been recognized by The ARC of Florida as Volunteer of the Year, the Community Foundation of Volusia & Flagler’s Davidson Award winner for outstanding community service and Chairman’s Council for the YMCA. Preston is also the longest serving member of the Root Family Foundation, established in 1984.

Preston has been married to Lynn for 27 years and they have a daughter Scenic (yes, Scenic Root) who is a teacher. A Nationally Certified EMT, Preston is also a SCUBA instructor. The only hobby Preston ever listed is auto racing.

“Few have done more for motorsports both locally and nationally, publicly and behind the scenes, than Preston Root,” said Motorsports Hall of Fame of America President George Levy. “He’s been a broadcast race reporter and co-anchor. He’s sponsored race teams. He’s helped support racers in need and played a vital role in a range of motorsports and broader civic organizations, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.”

About ISHA

The International Sports Heritage Association is a non-profit membership organization incorporated in 1971.  The mission of ISHA is to educate, promote and support organizations and individuals engaged in the celebration of sports heritage.  ISHA includes nearly 150 regular members from countries such as China, New Zealand, England, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States.  In addition, corporations and individuals participate in and contribute to the growth of ISHA as Associate Members.   For more information about ISHA, visit www.sportsheritage.org.

Moment Factory is thrilled by the warm welcome we have experienced as a new member of the ISHA community and look forward to meeting everyone in Daytona!

Since 2001, Moment Factory has been honored to collaborate on creating immersive, interactive multimedia experience platforms that engage fans with past and present stories of some of sport’s leading institutions-from leagues, teams and athletes to major events, venues and sports-tech pioneers and sponsors. Our repertoire includes permanent and pop-up projects that deploy augmented sport experiences and hall-of-fame exhibitions and attractions into venues ranging from arenas and stadia to stand-alone team museums and merchandise spaces to urban public spaces. On the events side, Moment Factory has helped create some of sport history’s newest memories, amplifying games, ceremonies, all-star/skills events and more.

Upcoming and past collaborations include :

The Messi Immersive Experience

Olympic Agora, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

Vancouver Canucks Hall Of Heroes Interactive Exhibits

The International Sports Heritage Association’s (ISHA) conference travel grant application is now available with the deadline for submission coming up on Monday, August 21. Travel grants of up to $1,000 each; and an international travel grant of up to $2,000 will be available. The grants are supported through the ISHA Founder’s Fund.

The ISHA board of directors approved four conference travel grants available to members in good standing. Each is worth up to $1,000. These grants are available for institution members. Members living outside Canada and the United States of America can apply for a travel grant of up to $2,000.

The deadline for the conference registration and travel grants is Monday, August 21, 2023. Decisions are expected to be made in a few days following the deadline. The application is available online on the ISHA website here. Please email completed applications to [email protected] and [email protected].

The annual ISHA Conference will be held September 27-28 at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona, Florida.

The Founder’s Fund raises money to support ISHA grants through initiatives such as the silent auction, t-shirt sales, a raffle and individual or corporate donations.

Questions about the grants and the application process can be directed to Kent Sturman, ISHA Grant’s Chairman at [email protected].

The ISHA Founder’s Fund provides travel grants to members to attend the Conference as well as Special Projects Grants to assist members with exhibits, collections projects and other museum programs in their efforts to fulfill their missions. One of the main fund-raising efforts for the fund, is a silent auction held during the Conference, September 27 and 28, 2023. The committee is soliciting items for the silent auction.

Popular items that are successful in the auction include, packages or experiences; autographed memorabilia; gift certificates/cards; and logo merchandise from your institution. The Founder’s Fund appreciates all contributions so anything that members can donate will help the committee reach their fund-raising goals.

If members can donate an item, please send a ISHA Silent Auction Form, a photograph of the item and the approximate value to: Kent Sturman at [email protected].

If you need to ship your item to the conference, please use the following shipping address and ship your items to arrive by Monday, September 25, 2023.

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
c/o Rhonda Geib
1801 W International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Bidding will begin when the conference opens on Wednesday, Sept. 27 and the auction will close Thursday evening during the Evening of Champions banquet. You can also support the Founder’s Fund by bidding in the auction while you are at the Conference.

Questions, ideas, and additional information can be directed to Kent Sturman, at [email protected].

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory recently underwent its first gallery renovation in nearly 15 years. The renovation includes a revamped Bat Vault, where guests can marvel at the more than 3,000 original bat models designed by some of the game’s most legendary players. Access to the Bat Vault is now included with regular museum admission. Our updated museum gallery, includes an overhauled Hold A Piece Of History exhibit where guests can hold game-used bats and there are also updates to the museum’s iconic player sculptures, which now include exciting backdrops for photo opportunities and special player artifacts on display.

ISHA Colour logo

The purpose of the ISHY Awards is to recognize the excellent work done by our member institutions on a variety of levels regardless of size or budget, based upon a competition evaluated by ISHA members and museum professionals. Associate and Individual members are not eligible for this competition.
There are multiple classifications of competition based on the institution’s annual operating budget and/or project budget. Simply indicate your organization’s classification on the form.

QUALIFICATIONS
Submit only one entry per category. More than one entry per category by a single institution will disqualify those entries. In other words, you cannot compete against yourself in a single category, such as by entering two books in A Books. You may enter any other remaining categories (A. through H) based on your materials.
All entries must have been produced (completed) between January 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 to be eligible No entry can be submitted a second time due to date overlap in the annual competition.
All entries must have been created solely for the submitting institutional member.
Submit your application online here:
https://forms.gle/FkUYQqJBa3hZ7WuZ9

For those wanting to submit hardcopies: Enclose three (3) original copies per entry with three (3) copies of this completed form per category to:

Michelle Gormley
The Sports Museum /TD Garden
100 Legends Way
Boston, MA 02114 USA

POINT SYSTEM & JUDGING:
Judging is completed by the four members of the ISHY Awards Committee:
Entries are judged on a point system: Production Quality – 20 pts., Design and Function – 40 pts., Purpose – 40 pts.

ISHY AWARD:
Winning entries will receive the coveted ISHY Award. The trophy is a tangible representation of your achievement and is something we hope you will display prominently at your organization. Receiving an ISHY is also an opportunity for you to call attention to your achievement through local media. Awards will be presented at our Annual ISHA Conference.
https://sportsheritage.org/members-area/conference-information/

DEADLINE:
Friday, July 28, 2023

The International Sports Heritage Association recently awarded a special project grant in the amount of $2,000 to The Sailing Museum (TSM) and National Sailing Hall of Fame, an institutional member of the organization. The grant was made available from the ISHA Founder’s Fund.

The Sailing Museum opened in May of 2022 and is an educational non-profit organization that is home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) and serves as Newport, Rhode Island’s newest cultural attraction. The museum celebrates the heritage of sailing, the legends of the sport and new sailors alike as well as inspiring sailing innovators. Interactive educational exhibits bring STEAM concepts alive through sailing.

The museum sought grant funding to purchase a necessary piece of equipment to increase awareness for this brand-new museum and home of the NSHOF.

TSM is housed in a historic 1894 stone Armory building constructed for the Rhode Island militia. The museum undertook a three-year restoration of the historic building and is proud to be its next caretaker. However, while the Armory building is a familiar sight to those who live in Newport, its imposing stone facade belies its newest purpose that lies beyond the imposing oak doors. To that end and to continue introducing the museum to the landscape of busy downtown Thames Street, staff soon began looking in earnest for a sailboat to stage in front of the building. One of TSM’s partners, the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI, offered the donation of a millimeter yacht (based on the iconic 12-meter design of the America’s Cup era).

One of the goals of the museum is to promote sports heritage by introducing visitors of all ages, non-sailors, and sailors alike, to the achievements, innovations, and rich stories the legends of sailing represent. While the hall of fame is established, the museum is still in its infancy and it is vital to continue to build the brand and establish the museum as an important part of the Newport community, one that is steeped in sailing history.  This is a simple but meaningful way to achieve that. Now when visitors travel up and down this busy thoroughfare, the colorful sailboat in the front courtyard signals that they’ve reached The Sailing Museum, home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the place to explore the titans of the sport and the legacy they have left.

Because this exhibit is outside, it must be wheeled back inside the museum each evening, both for the safety of the object and the public. Wheels were put on the cradle, allowing employees of all ages and abilities to accomplish this task. However, after only four months of use, the hardboard masonite cradle (that had been in continuous use outside in its previous location) disintegrated, rendering it useless. For that reason, a new dolly system must be secured. The museum plans to purchase two marine dollies from West Marine for this purpose.

As a new institution, they recognize that the first two years is an opportunity to build their brand. While they have followed traditional avenues in advertising on local media channels, they view the boat in the courtyard as a key piece of our site-based marketing plan. It instantly connects sailing to the place for the casual passerby. It reinforces the idea for visitors that they are in a sailing capital, a place where waterways and the sport of sailing are an integral part of its heritage. It encourages exploration beyond the massive wooden doors.

The Sailing Museum has already experienced many visitors commenting on how much they like the exhibit in the courtyard and hope with its updated features it will only serve to help boost and increase visitation for the next high summer season in Newport as they continue to celebrate the heritage of the sport and honor those who have shaped it over time.

The fund-raising activities for ISHA’s Founder’s Fund are being planned for this year’s conference to be held September 27 and 28 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Revenue to support this fund will be raised through a silent auction, a reverse raffle and through the sale of a sports museum themed t-shirt made available to attendees as well as ISHA members.

The ISHA Founders Fund was established by a select group of individuals who cared deeply for the legacy of sport on the world stage to support long-term initiatives in sports heritage. The Founders Fund now supports annual grant initiatives to assist conference attendance and to aid in the implementation of special projects by ISHA member organizations. To meet the long-term obligations of this Fund, a Founders Fund Committee works to raise money through these efforts for the continuation of the grants program. All revenue raised through these avenues directly impacts ISHA’s ability to support worthy projects that promote sports heritage and fund other initiatives important to all our member institutions and the entire sports heritage industry.

The committee is soliciting items for the silent auction from our members. Please consider a donation of an item to help in these efforts. Items that typically do well and are popular with bidders are autographed sports memorabilia; experiences or packages including tickets to sports events, induction ceremonies, museum visits, and vacation packages; logo merchandise; gift cards and much more. It is not too early to be thinking of your donation and getting together your packages to donate.

For more information about the auction, to discuss your idea for an item and to coordinate the delivery and shipment of the item, please contact the chairman of the Founder’s Fund, Kent Sturman at [email protected].

More details concerning the reverse raffle will be available soon and sent to members. In addition, the T-shirts will be made available for purchase with conference registration, at the conference or on the ISHA website. Watch for more details.

ISHA appreciates the support of the Founder’s Fund from our members and others that share the mission of sports heritage preservation and promotion.