The Titanic 110th Anniversary is just 6 weeks away! In this email, we have more details about the events taking place from April 14 - 17, including ways for you to get involved.
- Sponsor the Gala & Tribute - Deadline March 5
- Buy Your Tickets - Deadline April 9
- Titanic 110th Anniversary Events in the Park
- Sprucing up the Park
- Volunteer Spotlight
Sponsor the Gala & Tribute - Deadline March 5
There is still time to sponsor the Gala & Tribute! Sponsorships are a great way to honor a loved one, showcase your company, and show your commitment to Titanic Memorial Park. The deadline for sponsorships is March 5, so now is the time to act! Visit our Sponsor page for more details and to sponsor the Gala.
Buy Your Tickets - Deadline April 9
If you haven't bought your tickets to the Gala & Tribute yet, now is the time! In addition to the great speakers we have for the event, you'll learn about plans the National Park Service and the Friends have for park restoration. You'll also get to chat with your neighbors and friends who care about the Park. Showing up to the event is a great way to show the Park Service and other invited guests how important Titanic Memorial Park is to the Southwest community.
Our menu of heavy hors d'oervres is inspired by dishes served on the RMS Titanic, and provided by Distinct Taste Catering. Tickets are on sale through April 9 - make sure you get yours before the deadline!
Note: Arena Stage maintains its own COVID protocols to ensure that guests and patrons can enjoy their facilities safely. These precautions may be more stringent than DC COVID requirements, and are subject to change.
110th Anniversary Events in the Park
We're quite pleased with the displays we have planned for the park to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. We are also grateful to receive a grant from Friends of Southwest DC, which will pay for most of the cost of these displays. The Southwest Chapter of AARP also contributed funds for these displays.
From Thursday, April 14 - Sunday, April 17, we will honor and commemorate the passengers and crew of the RMS Titanic. Posters with the theme Stories of Bravery, Tragedy, and Survival will be placed along the promenade, highlighting individual passengers and crew.
A separate display with a flag for each person on board the Titanic, arranged by class, gender, and survival will be installed in the South Play Area near the Titanic Memorial. We'll have an Information table near the South Play Area, where you can learn more about the 110th Anniversary displays, as well as our work to improve the park.
Complementing the displays in the park, we have several events planned:
- Thursday, April 14
- 9:30 pm - Wreath laying at the Titanic Memorial.
- Saturday, April 16
- 6:30 pm - Titanic 110th Anniversary Gala & Tribute
- Date and Time TBD
- Ranger talks in the Park
Board member Paddy Katzen has been leading volunteers with landscape tasks to get the Park looking its best for April. Volunteers have pruned rose bushes, removed invasives, and tended to the planters and demonstration garden. Early in March, we’ll replace shrubs in the Demonstration Garden that didn’t make it last year. We have a few more landscaping tasks to complete so the Park looks its best in April. Board member Paddy Katzen will arrange specific tasks and schedule for those who sign up on our Volunteer page.
The National Park Service is planning to begin restoration of the tiles in the South Play Area in mid-March. Alert readers will recall NPS was ready to do this work in the Spring of 2020, then COVID threw those plans aside. We are so glad that the work is back on the schedule and should be complete in time for the 110th Anniversary.
Thank you to all of the folks who stepped up to volunteer last month! We have help with communications, centerpieces, and planning, for which we are grateful.
We still need volunteers for our April preparations and activities. Many hands make light work, and we hope you will give us 2 - 5 hours of your time so that the Anniversary events will be a success! Sign up on our Volunteer page for one or more of these tasks. We'll contact you with more details and to ask for a firm commitment to a specific task and schedule. Or, just go to Signup Genius now to sign up for specific shifts for of these activities:
Staff the Information Table - We have two-hour shifts from April 14 - 17 to staff the Friends information table. We will provide training and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. The table will have information about the Titanic Memorial and the Friends. This is a great way to meet neighbors and share your love of the Park. You can start signing up for shifts now on Signup Genius.
Set up/Tear down Park Displays - The park displays include a series of large yard-sign-type posters, as well as about 2,400 landscape flags that will be installed in a foam base. Initial set up includes mounting the posters onto the yard-sign mounts and placing them in the Park, and installing the flags into the foam base in a particular order and arrangement. At the end of each day, we will need a crew to move the assembled displays to a nearby location off of the Park site, and each morning we'll need a crew to put them back in place. You can start signing up for shifts now on Signup Genius.
Volunteer Coordinator - We need someone to coordinate the volunteers who are staffing the information table. Tasks would include ensuring we have shift coverage and materials for the table, and trouble-shooting any last-minute issues. We have some nice tools for shift management, and a Board member will always be available to help with any tricky issues.
Please use the Volunteer page to indicate your interest in one or more of these volunteer opportunities, or just sign up using Signup Genius. We'll contact you for more information and formal commitments.
We're looking forward to seeing you in April!
Corinne Irwin, Chair
Friends of Titanic Memorial Park
Proud partner of the National Park Service