Volunteers help clean up Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field in preparation for Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

Albany – Members of Albany County’s hospitality community and other travel and tourism professionals from around the Northeast embraced giving back and sustainability by volunteering with Tourism Cares at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field last Friday in preparation for 48,000 visitors traveling to Cooperstown for Hall of Fame Weekend, including those staying at nearby hotels in Albany County. 

Volunteers spent the day working on a number of different projects at Doubleday Field including painting, concrete repair, and the removal of invasive plant species on the field. At the end of the day, volunteers donated more than $5,000 in volunteer labor and saved the Doubleday Field maintenance staff months of work.

The Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) and key partners participated in this event as part of the Hospitality Gives Back initiative which has had them leading and volunteering community service events throughout Albany County and the Capital Region. The first Hospitality Gives Back event took place in April at Historic Cherry Hill where volunteers prepared the grounds in anticipation of a large event.

The Hospitality Gives Back initiative highlights the importance of the hospitality community working together to enhance Albany attractions and echoes a key message of last week’s Albany Hospitality Summit where local leaders stressed that area businesses, organizations, and general community members need to work together to make Albany as welcoming as possible for visitors.

Albany County participants include: Shannon Licygiewicz from the Albany Capital Center; Michele Vennard, Amelia Bach, Mollie August, and Marie Whitney from the ACCVB; Brian Pearce and Robin Jackson from the Albany Marriott; Carol Gagliardi from Buca di Beppo; Ashlee Lansing from the Holiday Inn Albany; Miten Negandhi from the La Quinta Albany; and Chris Milian from Photos From on High.

More hospitality Gives Back programs will be planned throughout the year. For more information, visit www.albany.org.

About the ACCVB:

The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. was established in 1976 to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community through increased development of conventions and tourism. ACCVB currently represents more than 300 member businesses and assists each year in hundreds of regional meetings. ACCVB also operates the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, Henry Hudson Planetarium, and the Albany International Airport Information Center. For more information, call 518-434-1217 or 800-258-3582 or visit www.albany.org.

About Tourism Cares: 

Tourism Cares brings together the tourism industry to preserve American icons and travel experiences. Tourism Cares, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity that benefits society by preserving the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide; by focusing on workforce development through student programs which provide support from classroom to career; and by organizing volunteer efforts to restore tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For additional information, visit www.tourismcares.org.