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David Rubenstein Donates $7.5 Million to Trust For the National Mall For Repairs to Washington Monument

Courtesy Trust for the National Mall

Washington, DC, USA 
(January 
19, 
2011) — The 
Trust 
for 
the 
National 
Mall
 announced
 today
 that
 it
 has
 received
 a 
$7.5
 million
 donation 
from 
David
 Rubenstein,
 Co‐Founder
 of 
The 
Carlyle 
Group. 

The 
gift 
will
 provide 
the 
funding 
required
 to 
repair 
the
 Washington
 Monument,
 which 
suffered 
extensive
 damage
 from 
a 
5.8 
magnitude 
earthquake 
on 
August
 23,
 2011.


“David
 Rubenstein
 is 
a 
true 
patriot, 
and
 we
 are
 grateful
 for
 his 
significant 
and
 generous 
contribution 
to
 restore 
the 
Washington
 Monument,
 one
 of 
America’s 
greatest 
treasures,”
 said
 Caroline 
Cunningham,
 President
 of 
the 
Trust 
for 
the 
National 
Mall. 
“David’s
 leadership 
demonstrates
 how
 the 
public/private 
partnership
 of
 the
 Trust
 and
 the 
National 
Park 
Service 
will 
successfully
 drive 
the
 restoration 
and
 enhancement
 of
 the
 National 
Mall,
 home
 to
 the 
hope, 
history
 and
 heroes
 of
 the
 America.”


“America 
has
 been
 very 
good 
to
 me
 and
 I 
am 
humbled 
to
 be 
able 
to 
honor 
the 
father
 of 
our
 country
 in
 this 
way,” 
said
 Rubenstein.

 “Reopening 
the
 monument
 as 
soon
 as 
possible
 will
 help 
ensure
 that 
many
 people 
get 
to 
learn 
about 
American
 history 
and 
the
 unique 
role 
that 
George
 Washington 
played 
in 
the 
birth 
and 
life 
of 
our 
great 
nation.”



 According
 to 
a
 report 
released 
by 
the 
National
 Park
 Service, 
inspectors 
found
 numerous
 cracked
 and
 chipped
 stones,
 including 
six
 large 
cracks 
that
 extend
 through 
the 
marble 
exterior 
of 
the 
Monument’s
 pyramidion,
 that
 have 
left 
the 
127
 year‐old 
structure
 extremely
 vulnerable.

 The
 Monument
 also 
suffered
 missing 
mortar,
 the
 displacement 
of
 components 
of
 the 
lightning
 protection
 system,
 and
 damage
 to 
the
 elevator 
counter
 weight 
frame.


Congress 
recently
 allocated
 $7.5
 million
 to
 repair
 the 
Monument 
with
 the 
expectation 
that
 the
 National
 Park 
Service 
in
 partnership 
with 
the
 Trust
 for
 the
 National
 Mall
 would 
raise
 an
 equal
 amount 
in
 private 
donations. 

David
 Rubenstein’s 
generous
 contribution 
meets 
that 
objective.


“Millions 
of
 people 
have
 seen
 the
 dramatic 
video
 of 
chunks
 of
 mortar
 and
 limestone 
raining
 down
 on 
visitors 
in
 the 
monument 
as
 the 
quake
 rocked
 the
 east
 coast
 last 
August,” 
said 
National 
Park 
Service
 Director
 Jonathan
 B.
 Jarvis.
 “While
 no 
one
 was 
hurt, 
the
 damage 
to 
this 
iconic
 obelisk 
was 
substantial
 and 
it
 has 
been 
closed
 to
 the 
public
 ever 
since.

 Thanks 
to 
David’s
 gift
 and 
the
 support
 of
 the 
American 
people, 
the 
National 
Park 
Service 
will
 once
 again 
welcome
 visitors 
to 
the 
Washington
 Monument
 and
 share 
the 
story
 of 
our 
nation’s 
first 
President.”


The
 National 
Park 
Service 
expects
 to
 award
 a 
contract
 to 
repair
 the 
monument
 by
 this 
August;
 work 
is 
expected
 to 
take
 10‐12
 months.


The
 Trust
 for
 the 
National 
Mall
 is 
the 
official 
non‐profit
 partner 
of
 the
 National
 Park 
Service
 dedicated 
to 
restoring
 and 
improving
 the
 National 
Mall. 
For
 more 
information 
on 
the 
Trust 
for
 the
 National 
Mall
 and
 the 
work 
that 
is 
being
 done
 to
 restore 
America’s
 Front
 Yard,
 please
 visit 
www.nationalmall.org.


Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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