Ellis Island

Ellis Island was once the symbol of everything a new immigrant to America dreamed. When it was in operation, millions of people went through its gates and into New York City. Such luminaries as the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and the Trapp Family Singers (of The Sound of Music fame) entered the new land here.
In 1954, Ellis Island processed its last immigrant. Since then the island was abandoned, and the buildings became largely derelict. That changed in 1990, however, when a $150 million dollar project was completed, and the center became a museum of American immigration. Ever since then, it has been open to visitors (including myself). However, it has yet to generate enough money to keep organizations such as Save Ellis Island alive.
It began to seem unlikely that the restoration of the buildings on Ellis Island could continue. Then, American Express stepped in. They contributed $100,000 to Save Ellis Island, which was "on the brink of extinction", as the New Yew York times puts it. The donation was inspired by another New York Times article describing the poor state of the organization.
Now, Save Ellis Island has been revived, and it can continue making Ellis Island a great spot for anyone interested in a key part of all world history: The migration of people.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/american-express-gives-100000-to-ellis-island-group/?ref=todayspaper
by Rahul V., Period 8