(April 4) – The 15th annual Civil War Preservation Ball held March 10 put the total amount of money
raised for the Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Project over dance’s history to more than $100,000.
The Project provides funds for the repair and maintenance of the more than 140 Pennsylvania monuments and markers on the Gettysburg Battlefield.
Better than 120 guests from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and
Virginia attended the Preservation Ball on Saturday, March 10 in the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda in
Harrisburg.
The Ball is sponsored by the Victorian Dance Ensemble and the Civil War Dance Foundation. Music was provided by the Philadelphia Brigade Band under the direction of Rich Cummines.
The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association assists with the Ball and is also a supporter of the
Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monument Trust Fund.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Harry Readshaw of Allegheny County founded the project in 1997 after he
learned the park lacked funding to cover the cost to repair and restore the needs of more than 1,000
monuments in the park. Over the years, with the help of volunteers and allocations from the General
Assembly, the monuments honoring Pennsylvanians have been sustained.
The Project now is centered on funding The GBPA Monument Monument Trust Fund and a related Trust to ensure their future maintenance.
“The Pennsylvanians who fought at Gettysburg stood their ground to the utmost and we honor their
bravery and sacrifice,” Readshaw said. “I thank everyone who supported the Civil War Preservation Ball,
because it benefits a national park that seeks to preserve our history for current and future generations.”
To see photos or get more information visit the Victorian Dance Ensemble at: www.civilwardance.org.
