On behalf of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, I am writing to ask for your support as a Sponsor of our 2015 Commonwealth Awards program to be held on the evening of December 2, 2015 at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In addition to recognizing and celebrating great smart growth projects from across the state, we will present the Community Transportation Excellence Awards as well as present our highest individual honor – the Mark C. Schneider Friend of Pennsylvania Award – to Lancaster Mayor Richard Gray. Governor Wolf also has been invited to give the keynote address – and while we are awaiting a formal commitment, his scheduling office has indicated that the date will likely work for him to attend.

The Commonwealth Awards: Designing the Future, Recognizing Model Projects

Our annual Commonwealth Awards event has two goals – to honor exemplary development projects and individual leaders; and to share the best ideas and practices in healthy community design and smart growth leading to opportunity for all. The event features an outstanding Keynote speaker on a timely smart growth topic and a poster session with the award winners so that attendees can learn more about the year’s outstanding projects. This year’s event will accomplish these two goals while honoring the community revitalization and green infrastructure achievements in the City of Lancaster under the leadership of Mayor Richard Gray.

The Commonwealth Awards is 10,000 Friends’ signature program recognizing great development projects and the people who make them happen. Through the Commonwealth Awards, we recognize leading development projects that utilize best practices creating great walkable, sustainable, equitable, healthy communities. Over the years, we have recognized a wide array of great projects – affordable, residential, mixed-use, commercial, public infrastructure, recreational/green space, schools, and municipal planning projects – that demonstrate urban infill, historic rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, brownfield redevelopment, and other revitalization techniques. As you may know, the Commonwealth Awards remain the only statewide smart growth award program in Pennsylvania and reflect 10,000 Friends’ commitment to improving the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

The Mark C. Schneider Friend of Pennsylvania Award

In addition to recognizing great projects, at each Commonwealth Awards event we present the Mark C. Schneider Friend of Pennsylvania Award to honor an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in developing great communities where Pennsylvanians can live, work and prosper. This award is 10,000 Friends’ highest honor, named after our late and beloved Board Chair and urban real estate developer Mark Schneider. This year’s honoree is Mayor Rick Gray of Lancaster. Mayor Gray’s leadership over many years has made Lancaster a shining example of how civic and business collaboration – and strategic planning and investment – can lead to downtown revitalization, community redevelopment, and improved quality of life in Pennsylvania’s older cities and small towns. Under his administration, Lancaster has become a statewide leader in “green infrastructure” initiatives and sound land use that preserves urban redevelopment while preserving open space and green space. Lancaster has become a leader in the cause of ‘green’ initiatives conserving and preserving Pennsylvania’s natural resources, promoting smart growth, and revitalizing our existing communities.

At 10,000 Friends, we are energized by the growing number of smart, innovative projects in Pennsylvania that are shaping our future growth and prosperity – the kinds of investments that breathe new life into declining neighborhoods, increase opportunities in communities on the rise, and find new uses for vacant manufacturing sites. The past several years have demonstrated that great projects and outstanding leadership are more important than ever in making our communities healthy and sustainable. This year’s event will be a powerful celebration—and critical to the future work of 10,000 Friends.

Event and Program Sponsorships

We would be honored if you or your organization would be a sponsor for this year’s event. Enclosed for your review is a Sponsor Level form listing sponsorship levels that offer a range of benefits, from recognition at the event to complimentary tickets depending on the level. The Commonwealth Awards program is a great way to recognize great projects and their development teams, celebrate your commitment to Healthy Communities and ‘green investments,’ and promote reinvestment in core communities leading to better opportunities for all Pennsylvanians. Please join us by sponsoring this great event at whatever level is possible.

I would be happy to discuss this event further with you or provide any additional information you may need. Thank you again.

Sincerely yours,

Jack Machek
President & CEO

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