‘Summer of 2004’ Draws Hundreds
to Museum
Beaver Native and TV Star Amber Brkich Leads Salute to
Firefighters
Hundreds of well-wishers and fans gathered at the museum on
Sat., June 26 for a celebration – to show appreciation
to living history makers – to survivors – in the
community who have made their own mark on Beaver’s reputation
as “someplace special.”
 The
news made headlines in People Magazine (see below),
and an Associated Press article was picked up by hundreds
of newspapers in North America and Canada. In a national story
by the Knight-Ridder chain, the Philadelphia Inquirer
said "curators everywhere are casting their jealous eyes
on the Beaver Area Historical Museum ... which just scored
the coup of the year."
The star attraction was Brighton Township’s own “Survivor
All-Star” winner Amber Brkich, who brought the national
spotlight to Beaver while making her “million-dollar” mark
on CBS-TV. The object of the day also was to pay tribute to
Beaver area volunteer firefighters, who quietly go about their
expert work protecting our community every day.
 Master of ceremonies Mark Miner said that Amber “is
beautiful, smart and articulate, and what more could we want
to represent our community in the national spotlight?”
Heritage Foundation President Ed McLaughlin noted that the
museum’s major exhibit this year features the history
of firefighting in Beaver. “On display are mannequins
dressed in the firefighting equipment of the 1950s and 2000s,
to show the great improvements made to protect firefighters’ safety
over the years,” he said.
 Earlier in the day, Amber helped dedicate an exhibit featuring
artifacts from her two Survivor experiences.
Afterward, Amber signed several hundred autographs on specially
printed cards featuring the museum and fire department logos.
Other speakers included Fire Department President John Kowalski
and Beaver Borough Council President James Foster. Dr. John
Guzzetti served as deejay, while many Heritage Foundation volunteers
assisted as docents and helped in a variety of important ways.
Reprinted
from People Magazine
July 19, 2004
"The
Amber Museum"
Okay, the Louvre has better paintings. Still, Pennsylvania’s
Beaver Area Historical Museum is quite proud of its new exhibit:
a collection of memorabilia from Survivor winner – and
hometown heroine – Amber Brkich. Among the items on display:
a bikini Brkich, 25, wore on the show; her boomerang; a leather
canteen; a blindfold worn during several challenges; a personal
scrapbook;
and several magazine covers. About 200 people showed up to
meet Brkich at the exhibit opening last month; attendance has
since doubled. “It was just a nice thing that the hometown
wanted to recognize me,” Brkich says. Adds museum trustee
Mark Miner: “There’s a natural interest in our
local TV history maker.” Admission is free.
Reprinted from PEOPLE Magazine's July 19, 2004 issue by special
permission; (c) 2004 Time Inc. All rights reserved.
|
