About the
Friends of New Echota
Friends of New Echota State Historic Site (FONE) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that operates as a chapter of Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. FONE was established October 2009.
Please Join Us! Be sure to designate New Echota as your chapter preference!
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Purposes of the organization:
- The Friends of New Echota State Historic Site will assist the site staff in carrying out the mission and reaching the goals of the Georgia State Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites (PRHS) Division of the Department of Natural Resources.
- The Friends of New Echota State Historic Site will assist the park site manager with planning, organizing, and implementing special events. FONE will also promote public awareness and public support of and involvement in New Echota State Historic Site.
- The Friends of New Echota State Historic Site will assist the site manager with all aspects of the site’s operation as requested.
- The Friends of New Echota State Historic Site will be an advocacy group charged with promoting public awareness of the New Echota State Historic Site as a significant and valuable historic resource.
- The Friends of New Echota State Historic Site will restore and increase public support of and involvement in the New Echota State Historic Site.
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Goals and objectives:
- Establish a docent program. Docents are needed to provide tours for school groups and to provide interpretation of the site for daily visitors and special events. Docents will replace full-time staff whose positions were abolished as a result of the recent budget cuts.
- Offer special events and programs to the public throughout the year. Volunteers are needed to help the site manager to plan, organize, and implement special events and programs in order to maintain and increase attendance at the site.
- Increase membership of the Friends of New Echota State Historic Site. Members will provide volunteer manpower and generate funds for carrying out the purposes of FONE and the goals and mission of the site.
- Raise funds for an LCD projector. This equipment will be used by FONE to support our advocacy efforts as we present information about New Echota at schools, civic organizations and various other venues in the community.
- Raise funds for the construction of a gift shop and meeting room to be located at New Echota State Historic Site. Parking lot expansion to be included.
New Echota currently has a small retail “shop” consisting of a wall and some counter space. Tourists and local residents often come in to shop for Cherokee-related books and souvenirs but have little to choose from due to space constraints. A gift shop will provide additional space for a wider variety of Cherokee-related books and retail items, thus providing a better selection for visitors and generating greater revenue for PRHS.
The only available meeting space is the theatre. When the theatre is used as meeting space, visitors must watch the film on a VCR in the small library, which is only big enough for 4 people at a time. A room will allow the site manager and FONE to accommodate requests for meeting space from local and regional groups and organizations, thus generating name recognition for the site and additional revenue for PRHS.
Currently, the parking lot is not large enough to accommodate special event crowds and will not accommodate increased traffic generated by this addition.