Virginia City lands national tourism restoration project

Between 200 and 300 tourism professionals will be in Virginia City on May 17-19 to help clean up and restore venues in the historic mining town.

Tour guides, travel agents, directors of visitors centers and other professionals will roll up their sleeves and go to work as part of Tourism Cares for America, a project that sends volunteers to a location each year to pitch in. The work will include painting, scraping and restoring venues like Piper's Opera House, the Silver Terrace Cemeteries and St. Mary's Art Center.

Last year, the group spent time in Mississippi cleaning up some of Hurricane Katrina's damage. In the past they have worked in New Orleans, Mount Vernon and Ellis Island.

Tourism Cares for America is a nonprofit organization created by the National Tour Association and the United States Tour Operator Association to help preserve, conserve and protect tourism-related sites in America that need rejuvenation.

The Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority, working with regional partners, has planned a variety of after-hour adventures to showcase to travel operators, airline officials and other tourism opportunities Northern Nevada has to offer.

The organization was created to bring the tourism industry together to give back to the nation. It is also designed to answer President George H.W. Bush's 2001 call for Americans to volunteer for public service and generate positive public relations and media coverage for the tourism industry and national historic sites.

This year the VCCTA, the Nevada Commission on Tourism, the Reno Tahoe Territory and regional hotels will host this event.

Anyone interested in participation in the project can contact the VCCTA at 847-7500.