For the fifth year in a row, the Ford Motor Company Fund partnered with the Gettysburg Foundation to sponsor Ford Family Day—a day of free educational programs at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. This past Saturday, August 4, more than 4,000 visitors enjoyed free admission to the Museum, Film, and Cyclorama experience, as well as free, family-focused educational programming and living historians recreating what life was like in a Civil War-era camp. The day generated record visitation to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center in 2018.
Thanks to the support of the Ford Motor Company Fund, this year’s Ford Family Day featured expanded educational programming, which included living historians reading stories highlighting the Underground Railroad and the experiences of African-Americans during the Battle of Gettysburg.
“The Gettysburg Foundation is grateful to the Ford Motor Company Fund for its commitment to our efforts to educate the public about the role of the Civil War in shaping today’s society,” said Dr. Matthew C. Moen, president of the Gettysburg Foundation. “The generosity and ongoing support of the Ford Motor Company Foundation has allowed more people than ever to attend this year’s Ford Family Day and learn new stories about the Civil War focused on inclusion, civility and leadership.”
Since the establishment of the "Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center" at the heart of the Museum and Visitor Center when it opened in 2008, Ford Motor Company Fund has been an integral part of community events and education initiatives at the Gettysburg National Military Park. A decade later, the Ford Education Center is central to Gettysburg Foundation educational efforts, including Ford Family Day activities. More than two million on-site visitors have participated in educational programs at the Ford Education Center and millions more students have visited Gettysburg virtually through National Park Service distance learning programs.
“We are impressed by the success that the Gettysburg Foundation and the National Park Service have had in not only preserving Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site but also educating the public about their importance,” said Yisel Cabrera, Government & Community Relations Manager at the Ford Motor Company Fund. “Ford Motor Company Fund is proud to again support Ford Family Day, which gives all visitors access to learn critical lessons from America’s history that are still relevant today.”