CONTACT: Jay Purdy, Legislative Information Office, 717-787-7895

HARRISBURG, Mar. 12 - The National Civil War Preservation Trust, recognized as the nation's leading force for preservation of Civil War battlefields and historic sites, has recognized the crusade of state Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, to preserve the 146 Pennsylvania monuments at Gettysburg.

In the organization's quarterly magazine, Hallowed Ground, an article in the publication's "Victories" section outlines the project Readshaw began four years ago after reading a newspaper account of the decaying conditions of the monuments at Gettysburg and the lack of adequate funding for their preservation. The magazine said the representative's work since then "has made Readshaw's name a household word among Civil War preservationists."

In the article, Readshaw says the greatest challenge for his Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Project has been to make the public aware of the deterioration of the monuments and why prompt preservation work was so critical to the Pennsylvania monuments and those from many other states that had soldiers in the pivotal battle of the Civil War.

"First, we had to tell the story," Readshaw is quoted as saying. That mission accomplished, the main thrust has been to work with local partners, school groups and reenactment units from across the Commonwealth and elsewhere. Last year, funds were secured to repair and clean the Commonwealth's monuments. The current challenge is to raise money for perpetual trusts to ensure funds are in place for future maintenance.

The article notes that the superintendent of the Gettysburg National Military Park, John Latschar, is thrilled with Readshaw's persistence and grateful for the monument-preservation funding.

"Readshaw's efforts to raise awareness of the need for preservation funds at Gettysburg have been invaluable," Latschar says. Next month, the second annual Monument Challenge 5k Run and Walk will be held at the Daniel Lady Farm in Gettysburg. Last year's inaugural event raised $40,000 for the monument. This year, Readshaw's target is $50,000 to $75,000 toward the final goal of $431,000. Already, Readshaw's Raiders, as they were dubbed in one newspaper account, have raised more than $100,000 for the perpetual trusts.