<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">Humes</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Local/State</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">November 19, 2015</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">FUNDING DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY DÉCOR REPAIRS </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">SUCCESSFUL FOR THANKSGIVING INSTALLATION </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">MISSOULA</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> – With significant support from the Missoula Downtown Foundation (MDF)
and the City of Missoula, the Missoula Downtown
Association (MDA) has funded the holiday décor infrastructure repairs to light
and decorate Downtown Missoula for this holiday season. In order to install the décor before
Thanksgiving, the MDA and MDF had only four weeks to raise $14,500 needed for repairs. With several different partners and donors
pitching in, an additional $10,000 was raised to put towards next year’s
repairs. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The 30 year old electrical
infrastructure supporting the Downtown holiday décor was failing and efforts were
put in place last summer to repair the system.
Due to the short time frame to raise funds, the $35,000 project was
split into two phases. Phase I included
electrical box and wiring upgrades to 70 of the 115 light poles utilized for
holiday décor. Phase II will include
replacing distribution wires and switching all décor to a LED lighting system. Currently, incandescent bulbs light the Downtown
holiday décor requiring additional distribution wiring and electricity. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“We had an
overwhelming response to this project and it is clear that creating a festive
atmosphere Downtown during the holiday season is important to our community,”
states Heidi Starrett, President of the MDA Board of Directors. “This year’s improvements along with future
repairs will benefit the entire community for many holiday seasons to come.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">At the end of September, MDF
kicked off a ‘Light-A-Pole Campaign’ to fund Phase I repairs. Roemer’s Tire Factory donated funds to the
effort through tires purchased during the month of October. In addition, the remaining funds needed for
Phase I and Phase II have come from a $10,000 gift from a community member, funding
from the City of Missoula, Light-A-Pole sponsorships from local businesses such
as First Security Bank, Choices Counseling, Blackfoot Telecommunications Group,
Datsopoulos, MacDonald, & Lind, and from contributions from the MDA and its
partner organization, the Downtown BID. An
in-kind donation of labor was given by Liberty Electric, the contractor hired
for the repairs. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“On behalf of all three
Downtown Missoula Partnership organizations, we thank everyone who has come forward
to support this effort,” states Colleen Rudio, President of the MDF Board of
Directors. “The Missoula community has
listened to the needs of Downtown, embraced it, and helped fund Phase I
entirely as well as an additional $10,000 towards our $20,500 goal for next
year. We have other Downtown projects on
the docket for 2016, and with this fundraising effort, we have a great start to
finalizing Phase II repairs by the end of the year. This will allow us to turn our attention to other
projects, such as Downtown Wayfinding and a new Caras Park Pavilion canopy and
sound system.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Downtown Holiday Décor
installation will be completed this week and turned on at dusk on Friday,
November 27. To donate to Phase II of
this campaign, to the MDF’s annual fall Friends of Downtown Campaign, or to
other Downtown projects, go to downtownMISSOULAfriends.org or call 406.543.4238.
</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> ##</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For more information,
contact Noreen Humes, Community Development Manager at </span><a href="mailto:Noreen@downtownmissoula.com"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:blue">Noreen@downtownmissoula.com</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> or 406.543.4238.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"></span></p><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="font-size:12.8px;margin:0px"><b><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><font size="4">Leidy Wagener</font></font></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8px;margin:0px"><b><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:13px">Operations Coordinator</span></font></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8px;margin:0px"><b style="font-size:12.8px"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><img src="http://www.missouladowntown.com/wp-content/uploads/dmpsquarembossedpetite.jpg" width="96" height="47"></font></b></p><p style="font-size:13px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif">Downtown Missoula Partnership </span></p><p style="font-size:13px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif"><br></span></p><p style="font-size:13px;margin:0px"><span style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif">218 E Main | Missoula, MT </span></p><p style="font-size:13px;margin:0px"><a value="+14065434238" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">406.543.4238 | </a><a href="http://www.missouladowntown.com/" title="http://www.missouladowntown.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">missouladowntown.com</a></p><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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