#america250

#america250

Debuted this week, the company's new 10-coach Freedom Express train celebrates the country from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, according to Brightline. The design was created in partnership with America250, the bipartisan organization established by Congress to lead the nation's 250th anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The 15-member commission, which was created by the Oregon Legislature, has already awarded $125,000 in community grants to 38 eligible organizations for projects focusing on how the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 has shaped the state. The funding, which was approved in two rounds, has flowed to both urban and rural parts of Oregon. Now the commission has announced that a third round of grants totaling $50,000 will be available starting on Wednesday, March 4. The maximum grant is $3,000 and no match is required. Fifty percent of the grants will be dedicated to rural communities.

"I'm telling you right now, whatever you're imagining, it's going to be much more than that,"

"Our mission is to give Oregonians the opportunity to reflect on the history of their country and state, and to talk about what kind of future they want," said Kerry Tymchuk, chair of the 15-member America 250 Oregon Commission that was created by the 2024 Oregon Legislature.

The new effort, which has the tagline "Be the People," has enlisted a number of marketing heavy hitters in addition to its support from Stand Together, a philanthropic endeavor founded by Koch in 2003. It's led by Andrew Essex, the founding chief executive of creative agency Droga5 and a longtime media and ad executive. The organizers described the "Be the People" initiative to potential supporters as an apolitical effort to unite America, three people briefed on the plans in recent weeks told Business Insider.

Abergel's new role in overseeing America's 250th birthday celebrations has raised concerns about political motivations behind what is intended to be a nonpartisan event.