The Board of Trustees of The Community Foundation of Frederick County announces The Thurmont First Fund. Thurmont First, a committee founded to promote Thurmont as a Main Street Maryland community, to foster comprehensive downtown enhancements, and to encourage business and economic development, establishes this fund to support its mission of revitalizing downtown Thurmont. Such revitalization efforts include promoting the historic preservation, protection and use of Thurmont’s traditional downtown; disseminating information about preservation, history, culture, architecture and public use of Thurmont’s downtown; and holding meetings, educational seminars and other activities to brief the public on building rehabilitation and design, economic restructuring and planning management to foster an appreciation and preservation of Thurmont’s downtown.

Toward this mission, Thurmont First has organized such events as Christmas in Thurmont, the Thurmont Business Expo, the Thurmont Business Directory, a farmers market, as well as information seminars. Future projects include downtown shopping days, soapbox races, community yard sales, and other community and business based events.

“We are committed to making Thurmont the very best community it can be by engaging the residents who live here and the businesses that thrive here in activities that foster sustained community and business development,” said Thurmont Economic Development Committee Chairperson Vickie Grinder and Commissioner Bill Blakeslee. “As part of those efforts, we turned to The Community Foundation of Frederick County to establish this charitable fund as a way to raise necessary resources and to encourage contributions in the most effective way possible to accomplish our initiatives.”

Those interested in helping to revitalize Thurmont may donate to The Thurmont First Fund at any time in any amount. Checks may be made payable to and mailed to The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701. Please include “The Thurmont First Fund” in the check’s memo line. Contributions are also accepted online by visiting the “contribute” section on the Community Foundation’s website.

For more information visit the Foundation’s at www.cffredco.org or call 301-695-7660.