Information sessions scheduled for Lincoln Highway grant program

Officials with the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor are hosting information sessions next week where nonprofits and municipalities can learn more about mini-grant applications.

The grants, funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, are to be used to promote the Lincoln Highway, the original Route 30, through projects based on three themes: education, nature and preservation. Those interested in the program will have opportunities next week to ask questions and inquire about eligibility.

Information sessions will kick off Monday at the Lincoln Highway Experience in Latrobe. The session begins at 4 p.m.

Two other meetings are scheduled for Tuesday at the Bedford County Historical Society and the Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville. The sessions begin at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.

In each session, interested applicants will preview the application and learn tips that could make their project stand out.

Lauren Koker, executive director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, said several projects have been funded through the grant program. It is available to organizations along the 200-mile stretch of historic highway that extends through Westmoreland, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin and Adams counties.

Those awarded grants are required to pay a cash match. Applications for the program will be available following next week’s information sessions, Koker said.

Questions regarding the sessions or the application process can be directed to Koker at lauren@LHHC.org or 724-879-4241.

Officials came up with the idea for the Lincoln Highway in 1913, and it was completed in 1925, making it the first coast-to-coast highway stretching from New York City to San Francisco along mainly existing roads. In 1995, the road was designated as one of 12 special heritage areas in the state.