C&O Canal National Historical Park Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator John Noel; Adrienne Gude Lewis, daughter of the late Congressman Gude; Carl Linden, President of the C&O Canal Association; Kevin Brandt, Park Superintendent; Mary Elizabeth Bowie, Community Foundation Trustee; and Dr. George Lewis, President of the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, Inc.

Community Foundation’s Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund Receives Contributions Honoring Congressman Gude

August 15, 2007: The C&O Canal Association presented to The Community Foundation of Frederick County contributions in excess of $38,000 to aid restoration of the Catoctin Aqueduct near Lander, Md. The donations honor the late Congressman Gilbert Gude, an outstanding leader in the preservation of the C&O Canal and the Potomac River, and were made to the Community Foundation’s C&O Canal Current Initiatives/Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund.

The presentation took place at the Catoctin Aqueduct, which is located in the C&O Canal National Historical Park, upstream from Lock 29. Participants included Kevin Brandt, the Park’s Superintendent; Adrienne Gude Lewis, daughter of the late Congressman Gude; Carl Linden, President of the C&O Canal Association; Mary Elizabeth Bowie, Community Foundation Trustee; and Dr. George Lewis, President of the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, Inc., which is spearheading the project.

This event underscores the commitment of Canal supporters to restore “the most beautiful aqueduct on the line” as the campaign enters its final, critical phase. On July 26, Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley approved a request for $1,728,000 of Transportation Enhancement Program funds for the project. The Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund has raised all but $300,000 of the needed match for these funds. To keep the project on schedule, the outstanding amount must be secured by the third week of October 2007.

The C&O Canal Association has received more than $8,000 in memorial donations made at the thoughtful request of the Gude family. Such donations are continuing to be mailed to the Association at P. O. Box 366, Glen Echo, Md. 20812-0366. In accordance with the family’s wishes, the Association is using these gifts to aid the Catoctin Aqueduct restoration, and is adding $30,000 of its own funds to the memorial contribution. This follows a separate donation of $25,000 that the Association made last year to the same cause. To further honor the late Congressman, the C&O Canal Association announced the creation of a Gilbert Gude Potomac River Award. The new award will be presented periodically to recognize achievements in preserving the Potomac River basin.

The death of Gilbert Gude on June 7 represented the loss of one of the C&O Canal’s most effective champions. In the Maryland legislature and later in Congress, he was a leader in the long effort to fulfill the vision of Justice William O. Douglas by preserving the Canal for posterity. Congressman Gude was a prime drafter of the legislation that created the C&O Canal National Historical Park. He worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of the Canal’s vulnerable structures, including the successful restoration of the Monocacy Aqueduct, completed in May 2005. Information about the C&O Canal Association can be found at www.candocanal.org or by calling 301.530.8153.

Additional information on the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration project can be found at www.catoctinaqueduct.org.

Since 1986, generous citizens have turned to the Community Foundation to fulfill their charitable dreams by establishing funds that benefit the Frederick County community.

To donate to The C&O Canal Current Initiatives/Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund make checks payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 E. Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701, with the Fund’s name inserted in the check’s memo line. To make an online contribution, click here. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. To learn more about the Community Foundation call 301.695.7660.