By purchasing a Maine lighthouse specialty plate, you will be helping raise future funds for the preservation of the Pine Tree State’s historic sentinels.
The Maine Lighthouse Trust has received approval from the Maine Secretary of State to launch a campaign for Maine’s first lighthouse specialty license plate.
The Maine Lighthouse Trust is required to have 2,000 Maine residents with active vehicle registrations pre-order the new license plate prior to the Secretary of State drafting legislation and presenting it to the Legislature for final approval. The cost of the lighthouse specialty license plate is $25.00. The Maine Lighthouse Trust will receive $10 from the initial purchase and $10 per annual renewal.
Funds from the sale of the specialty plates will be distributed to lighthouse groups in the form of grants to help with restoration projects.
(Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
The Maine Lighthouse Trust will distribute the accrued funds in the form of grants to statewide lighthouse organizations for the ongoing preservation, restoration and education/awareness of Maine’s historic sentinels. It is estimated the lighthouse plate will raise in excess of $200,000 per year for Maine’s lighthouse community.
The lighthouse specialty plates can be purchased online at www.MaineLighthouseTrust.org or mail in the printable order form.
Maine Lighthouse Trust founder Sean P. Murphy says “The time has come for Maine’s most iconic image to be represented on our resident’s license plates” “When people hear this idea they can’t believe we don’t already have a lighthouse plate “
Murphy further states, “Residents will be proud to display the new plates knowing they will be championing the mission to save and preserve Maine’s rich nautical heritage.”
By restoring and maintaining lighthouses, the public is able to enjoy them – and their rich history, to their fullest.
(Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
“When it comes to preserving Maine’s historic lighthouses, it’s a labor of love that has no end,” says Bob Trapani, Jr., Executive Director for the American Lighthouse Foundation. “There is always something to restore and maintain – and such efforts require much in the way of funds and public awareness. This exciting campaign by the Maine Lighthouse Trust to achieve State approval for a lighthouse specialty license plate is one of those unique initiatives that will help lighthouse organizations throughout Maine better achieve both goals. Annual funds from the specialty plate campaign will prove to be a wonderful boost to any lighthouse preservation project – and in the process, further strengthen public access programs at many lights as well.”
Trapani went on to note, “Plus, if you love lighthouses, who wouldn’t be proud to show their passion off to fellow Mainers and visitors alike as one travels around the state? Rarely can a commitment like this to Maine’s lighthouses yield such sustainable assistance to “keep them shining,” but that’s exactly what the Maine Lighthouse Trust has set out to achieve – a brighter future for our beloved sentinels.”
For more information, call the Maine Lighthouse Trust’s Sean Murphy at 207-370-4042 or email him at: Sean@MaineLighthouseTrust.org
Purchase your Maine lighthouse specialty plate today and help ensure that historic light stations like Wood Island are preserved for future generations!
(Photos by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
