Ten museums in Chester and Delaware counties have just been awarded $76,130 in state grants from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi has announced.

“It’s critical that we preserve our Commonwealth’s rich history,” said Senator Pileggi. “Chester and Delaware counties are full of historical treasures, and I’m pleased to support this important program.”

The grants are going to:

• American Helicopter Museum and Education Center,$9,528
• Chester County Historical Society, $21,726
• Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation, $3,121
• Graystone Society, $8,528
• Green Valleys Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc., $3,000
• Historic Yellow Springs, Inc., $9,253
• Historic Sugartown, Inc., $3,957
• Mill at Anselma Preservation and Education Trust, $3,000
• Nicholas Newlin Foundation, $9,055
• Wharton Esherick Museum, $4,962

“That will be a big help,” said Sarah Sands, executive director of the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center.

Sands said the helicopter museum has earmarked the funds for school and community educational programs and operating funds. Included in those are programs in which the museum reaches out to young women to encourage them to explore aerospace technology careers.

The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester, established in 1966, is a nonprofit organization that collects, restores and displays rotary-wing aircraft. The museum has more than 35 civilian and military helicopters, autogiros and convertaplanes. Visitors may climb aboard several of the helicopters.

Pileggi’s office said award amounts were determined using an equation based on a percentage of the eligible museum’s previous year’s operating budget. Museums with annual budgets over $100,000 and official county historical societies were eligible to apply.

Links: www.SenatorPileggi.com   www.americanhelicopter.museum