(2004) - The Charleroi Area Historical Society (CAHS) took a major step forward when representatives of the CAHS met with the Washington County Community Foundation, Inc. (WCCF) to finalize the creation of the Charleroi Area Heritage & Tourism Fund.  This permanent, charitable fund was created specifically to support heritage and tourism projects in the Charleroi area.  By partnering with the WCCF, the CAHS hopes to attract additional support for this community fund, both from a marketing perspective as well as a fundraising perspective.

The CAHS was created in 1973 to preserve and record the history of the Charleroi area.  Both organizations agree that with proper marketing, the Charleroi area, with its historic district and official registry on the US National Register of Historic Places, and proximity to the Monongahela River, could prove to be a tourist attraction.  The creation of the Fund at the WCCF was an important step toward increased success in tourism promotion in the Mon Valley Region.

As a permanent fund, the Charleroi Area Heritage & Tourism Fund will be invested with other permanent funds of the WCCF.  Annually, earnings from the Fund will be forwarded to the CAHS for further distribution to organizations that enhance tourism in the region by promoting the heritage of the Charleroi community.  As the value of the Fund grows, so too will the annual awards.  It is hoped that local individuals, the business community, and all those interested in tourism in the Mon Valley, will help by making tax-deductible contributions to the Fund.

WCCF Chairman John Duskey (left) shown with

            CAHS Chairman Milton Kubik

The 2005 Charleroi Area Heritage Banquet, a fundraiser dedicated to the promotion of heritage and tourism in the Charleroi area, was held March 5, 2005.  Click here for more information.

Click here for a list of grants awarded from this fund.