NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE COAL HERITAGE SITE FOR AN AWARD!

Guess who we are nominating?

The Coal Heritage Highway Authority and National Coal Heritage Area Authority work to preserve, promote and interpret the rich coal heritage of southern West Virginia.  Throughout the region, there are many individuals, communities and organizations that perform that work on their own, or in partnership with the two Coal Heritage Authorities. To honor the work of these people, the Coal Heritage Highway Authority and National Coal Heritage Area have implemented an award program to acknowledge the work that is being done to preserve coal history.  Once again the agency will recognize these outstanding achievements and is now accepting nominations for award winners is six different categories.  Projects must have taken place within the National Coal Heritage Area which included the counties of Mercer, McDowell, Raleigh, Summers, Wyoming, Fayette, Boone, Logan, Mingo, Wayne, Lincoln, Cabell and the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek watersheds in Kanawha County or provided a benefit to these counties.
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The Nick Joe Rahall Award for Outstanding Achievement in Coal Heritage Preservation:  Presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of hard work of the men and women of past coal communities. This award is given to acknowledge years of service and dedication the individual has made to coal heritage projects that have had significant impact in the National Coal Heritage Area.

The Coal Heritage Award for Excellence in the Arts:  Presented to an individual, community or organization who has captured the history of coal in artistic endeavors within the National Coal Heritage Area.  This award acknowledges the creative efforts that bring coal history to life through the arts. This includes, but is not limited to, dramatic performances, music composition or recordings or the visual arts.

The Coal Heritage Marketing Award:  Presented to an individual, organization or community that has created an outstanding marketing program promoting an attraction, community or event within the National Coal Heritage Area.  This included, but is not limited to, brochures, print ads, web site design, television or radio ads or earned media pieces. 

The Coal Heritage Interpretation Award:  Presented to an individual, organization or community that has achieved excellence in interpreting coal heritage within the National Coal Heritage Area.   This includes, but is not limited to, exhibits, walking tours, interpretative brochures, audio guides, travel guides, docent interpretation or guided tours.

The Coal Heritage Preservation Award:  Presented to an individual, organization or community for an exceptional project that preserves artifacts or structures relating to coal heritage within the National Coal Heritage Area.  This includes, but is not limited to, historic building renovation or restoration, adaptive re-use of historic buildings, designation of historic districts, artifact restoration or display, or oral history collections.

The Coal Heritage Research and Documentation Award:  Presented to an individual, organization or community for an outstanding research project that includes areas within the National Coal Heritage Area as part of the focus area.  This includes but is not limited to articles, books, oral history projects, websites, or photography collections.

In 2012, the awards will be presented at the 2012 Miner’s Celebration Conference at a special reception to be held on October 4, 2012 at the Tamarack Conference Center.  Nominations will be accepted for any worthy individual, organization, group or community. Nominations must be received by September 4, 2012.  An entry form to submit a nomination for one of the above categories is available at http://www.coalheritage.org, by calling the office of the Coal Heritage Highway Authority at 304-465-3720 or by emailing Linda Hawkins at [email protected].