February Newsletter: A Challenge to Inspire Us All
Dear Supporters,
It’s now been more than a decade since Congress first authorized the establishment of a national commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia “to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which the Peace Corps was founded.” For more than four years before that, thousands in the Peace Corps community had mobilized to advocate for the legislation and make the project possible.
We’ve come a long way since then. Following the Congressional authorization, we found a perfect site near the U.S. Capitol and National Mall, reviewed hundreds of design proposals, and landed on a beautiful parklike concept that was approved in November of 2022. As the final design nears completion, our vision is for Peace Corps Park to welcome visitors in person for the Peace Corps’s 65th and the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026!
Since our fundraising efforts launched in earnest in 2023, we have raised well over $2.5 million of the $10 million needed to break ground. We are thrilled to share the news of the recent $500,000 challenge gift from world-renowned philanthropist Jacqueline Mars, giving momentum to our capital campaign at a critical time. We’ll be looking to match this generous contribution with support from our broad network of dedicated people who want to inspire generations of people through the values of partnership, service and compassion for others, and the Foundation’s board of directors and advisory board have already stepped up to lead the way.
Join me and thousands of others who are leading the way to bring the Peace Corps community’s flagship project to fruition. We cannot do it without you.
Yours in service,
Glenn A. Blumhorst
Chief Advancement Officer
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation
President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association (2013-22)
RPCV Guatemala (1988-91)
GBlumhorst@PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org
Jacqueline Mars Pledges $500,000 Lead Gift
The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Mars has pledged a $500,000 lead gift for Peace Corps Park. Mrs. Mars is a member of the Mars family, the founders and owners of Mars Inc. and is widely recognized for her philanthropic work, having donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes over the years. Mrs. Mars is also an accomplished equestrian and has won several awards and accolades for her skills as a rider.
Mrs. Mars made this generous gift to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation provided that we match it with gifts from other donors. In response, Foundation Board Chair Roger Lewis has stepped up to make his own generous pledge of $100,000 – in addition to his prior contributions. Maureen Orth and Dr. Donna Shalala are among others who have pledged matching gifts, which will enable us to significantly advance our capital campaign for Peace Corps Park.
A Visit With the Peace Corps Director
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation Board Chair Roger Lewis and Chief Advancement Officer Glenn Blumhorst were recent guests at the headquarters office of Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn. Together they explored how Peace Corps Park could potentially be highlighted in future significant milestones such as the Peace Corps’ 65th anniversary and the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, both coinciding in 2026. They also discussed other opportunities for synergy and collaboration through the interactive visitor experience planned as a companion to the physical space.
Director Spahn reported that more than 2,500 Peace Corps Volunteers have now returned to service in 58 countries – including the introduction of Vietnam as a new country of service. At the same time though, applications to serve in the Peace Corps are not sufficient to meet the requests from communities and countries around the world. With more than 20 million annual visitors to Washington, D.C. and a digital audience of millions more, we envision the vital role that Peace Corps Park can play in informing Americans about the Peace Corps and inspiring them to serve their country as Peace Corps Volunteers.
PCCF Welcomes New Advisory Board Member
Our advisory board serves the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation as a champion for Peace Corps Park and a valuable source of strategic insight. Members share their gifts in service to the Foundation's mission by providing their professional expertise, diverse knowledge of constituent perspectives, connections to local, national, and international resources, colleagues or peers, philanthropic support and many other forms of assistance. This month, we are excited to welcome Maria Shriver to the PCCF Advisory Board.
is a mother of four, an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist, a seven-time New York Times best-selling author, an NBC News Special Anchor, the founder of the nonprofit "The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement," and a co-founder of MOSH, a “mission-focused, family-run company to get you thinking more about your brain health.”
As the 35th First Lady of California from 2003-2011, Maria spearheaded what became the nation’s premier forum for women, The Women’s Conference. Under her direction and vision, it grew into the world’s premier forum for women’s affairs and directly funded more than $5.5 million in charitable programs that have served women on the frontlines of humanity.
In 2004, Maria also created The Minerva Awards and Minerva Prize to recognize and reward remarkable women who stepped forward and changed the world with their courage, wisdom, and strength. Since 2009, she has also produced the groundbreaking Shriver Report Project, a series chronicling and exploring seismic shifts in American culture and society affecting modern women and their families.
“I grew up in a family that was driven to serve. My uncle John F. Kennedy was president. My uncles Bobby and Teddy Kennedy served in the U.S. Senate and also ran for president. My father Sargent Shriver served as founding director of the Peace Corps and led the nation’s war on poverty, and ran for president as well. My mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, started the Special Olympics and was an amazing mother to my four brothers and myself. So, I have always been surrounded by extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. At times, it’s been challenging. But more often than not, it’s been motivating.” (MariaShriver.com)
Maria Shriver with her four sons, and parents Sargent and Eunice Shriver
Fundraising Update
We continue to make great progress toward our campaign goal of $10 million, surpassing a milestone with the generous gift of Mrs. Jacqueline Mars. The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who have made generous contributions and/or pledges since January 25, 2024:
See the full list of cumulative gifts to the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation on our website.
$500,000 - $999,999
Jacqueline Mars
$100,000 - $249,999
Roger K. Lewis*
$50,000 - $99,999
Janet and Wylie Greig*
Maureen Orth*
$25,000 - $49,999
Donna Shalala
Jeff Zell*
$10,000 - $24,999
Glenn and Cathy Blumhorst*
Scott Nichols*
$5,000 - $9,999
Michael Newman
$2,500 - $4,999
Kay and Kevin Dixon*
Deborah Harding
$1,000 - $2,499
William Ackerman
John Arango
Linda Barnett
Susan and David Curry
Marty Mueller
Betsey Rubin Rosenbaum and Jon H. Rosenbaum
Charles Schumacher
Janet Toyooka Thibault
Darrel Young
Other gifts to $999
Mary Adams
Charles S. Amorosino, Jr.
Cheryl Anderson
Ralph Blessing
Marc Bosch
Frances Bowman
Ana Ciereszko
Maureen Crossey
Elizabeth Downes
Peter Dybwad
John Feighery
Gerald Finkelstein
Arthur J. Flanagan
Allen J. Gerber
Edward J. Gingras*
Stephen Glock
Bryce Hamilton
William Hetzer
Ann Hopkins
Sharon Keld
Robert Kendig
Howard Koons
Sandra Wilcox Kuritsky
Evelyn LaTorre
Linda Lipscy
Larry and Patty Longard
Michael McKibbin
Robert J. Meade
Marnie Mueller
Tom Mullins
Douglas Noble
Jessica Rogers
Margaret Runnakko
Ronald Schwarz
Amy Statsny
Victoria Tunba
Mary Weinhold
Kathleen Williams-Ging
Charlotte Area Peace Corps Association
Sacramento RPCVs
* New gift in addition to prior gift
Connect with us on social media
Whether or not you’ve been able to support the project with a donation, an easy way to amplify your impact is to give us a boost on your social media platform of choice! Follow us on any of the following networks, and re-share our posts to help raise awareness among your own community.
@PeaceCorpsPark on Facebook
@PeaceCorpsPark on Instagram
@PeaceCorpsPark on Twitter / X
@PeaceCorpsPark on LinkedIn
Connect with us in person
Throughout the year I’ll be hosting small gatherings and meeting with key stakeholders around the country to build awareness of Peace Corps Park. I’d love to connect with you or your group in the coming weeks to let you know about the project and our vision for how it will bring our community together once it’s built. Reply to this email and let me know if you’d like to arrange a meetup!
Feb 22-27 South Florida from Vero Beach to Miami
Apr 14-20 Antigua, Guatemala: Guatemala VII, VIII, and IX reunion
June 9-12 San Francisco Bay Area
PCCF's Glenn Blumhorst presents Peace Corps Park at the Northern Virginia RPCV affiliate group gathering, with former NPCA Vice President Anne Baker (far right) and NoVa RPCV President Lisa Martin (center)
PEACE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE FOUNDATION
Compassion Generosity Perseverance
Please note our new preferred mailing address:
5636 Connecticut Avenue, NW Ste 42143
Washington, DC 20015
The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation is the trade name of the Peace Corps Foundation,
a District of Columbia 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
EIN: 01-0554700
