Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum News


	For Immediate Release: December 17, 2008	Contact: David Blanchette (217) 558-8970
	2008 World Series Champion Encourages Gifts to Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation's Annual Fund Springfield, IL — Springfield's hometown baseball hero Jayson Werth is a member of the Philadelphia Phillies who contributed greatly to their 2008 World Series Championship by hitting .444, including one home run, driving in three RBIs and stealing three bases. Now, the World Series Champion is encouraging his fellow citizens to "give our nation's greatest champion, Abraham Lincoln, a gift he deserves" by joining him and his family in support of the educational initiatives at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum (ALPLM). Werth is the spokesperson for the 2008 campaign to support the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation's Annual Fund. In just two months, the nation will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. With nearly 500,000 children among the 1.7 million visitors who have visited the Library and Museum since its opening, Werth says this is a perfect moment to shine the spotlight on how the Library and Museum teaches our youngest generation about the relevance of history and helps the nation explore uniquely American issues. "As a father, I recognize the importance of educating children, and with a thoughtful donation, you can help bring these exhibits to life for the thousands of children that travel to Springfield each year. While here, they learn about our country's greatest president. His life and times, before and during his presidency, come alive in a multi-dimensional learning experience the whole family can enjoy," writes Werth in a letter that the Foundation is mailing to friends and supporters of the Library & Museum. Werth has been in the major leagues for six seasons, starting with Toronto and Los Angeles before joining the Phillies as starting right fielder in 2007. Werth was born in Springfield, graduated from Chatham Glenwood High School, and still spends his off-season near family and friends in Chatham, Illinois. "Growing up in central Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, and being a tall slender fellow myself, I can relate to our country's 16th president. Abraham Lincoln was a self-built and hard-working man who was known for his shrewdness but also his genius for telling a good joke," writes Werth. Gifts to the 2008 Annual Fund will help pay for teacher workshops, student-based programs and tours, and online lesson plans and other teacher resources. People who contribute at least $50 toward the 2008 Annual Fund will receive a leather-bound, pocket-size notebook embossed with Lincoln's signature. In addition, they will receive a Jayson Werth baseball card and a commemorative Abraham Lincoln baseball card. People who contribute $500 or more will also receive the only Bicentennial book sanctioned by the Presidential Library and Museum, National Geographic's Abraham Lincoln's Extraordinary Era. Gifts to the 2008 Annual Fund may be made by visiting www.PresidentLincoln.org or by calling (217) 557-6250. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation is a private, not-for-profit organization governed by a 30-plus member Board of Directors, with a mission to support the outreach activities of the ALPLM. Generous donations from private individuals and organizations support the Foundation's role in sponsoring Library and Museum exhibits, speakers, educational and scholarship opportunities. ###