Press Release
Hurricane Katrina-Affected Communities and Main Street Responders Honored for their Leadership by the National Trust
NEW ORLEANS (June 6, 2006) –Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center®, presented the 2006 Main Street Hero Award to the Main Street communities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina and the organizations and individuals in the National Main Street Network who responded with support. Annually, the National Trust bestows a Main Street Hero Award on individuals for their outstanding contributions toward the revitalization of historic commercial districts.
"Katrina was first and foremost a human tragedy, but it was also the nation's greatest cultural disaster. Thousands of historic buildings have been lost and tens of thousands damaged," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The Main Street communities, though, have responded magnificently to the disaster, and because of their efforts, communities across the region are being offered real hope for saving their unique heritage."
After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, directors of commercial district revitalization organizations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi struggled to help downtown property owners recover from physical damage, merchants salvage businesses, and residents find the goods and services that they needed to rebuild their lives. Many of the local Main Street directors themselves were displaced and tackling personal post-disaster challenges.
The day after the hurricane hit, the National Trust Main Street Center staff experienced a surge of telephone calls and emails from the nationwide Main Street Network, expressing concern and seeking ways to help. This network of over 1,800 commercial district revitalization professionals and organizations readily identified with their Main Street colleagues in the Gulf Coast region and sprang into action. Main Street communities in the region hosted evacuees, turning their downtown parks and hotels into shelters and coordinating donations and information services for the evacuees. Main Street organizations outside of the region offered monetary aid and technical assistance by sharing information, reports and ideas. Many Main Street revitalization professionals traveled to the Gulf Coast to help formulate and implement recovery strategies. The strength of the Main Street network around the nation was evident. Main Street organizations rallied in the face of disaster and their colleagues in revitalization throughout the U.S. readily came forward to lend a hand.
For more information about the Gulf Region communities affected by Hurricane Katrina and the Main Street communities and individuals that supported their recovery, visit www.nationaltrust.org/hurricane. To learn more about the Main Street Network and how to participate, visit www.mainstreet.org/join. For more information about the National Trust's Main Street Awards program and the three 2006 Main Street Leadership award winners, visit www.mainstreet.org/awards or call (202) 588-6219.