Secretary Laurel M. Lee Designates MainStreet DeLand Association as the Florida Main Street Program of the Month

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee announced today that the MainStreet DeLand Association has been designated the December 2019 Florida Main Street Program of the Month. Programs are selected based on their development achievements and participation in the Florida Main Street program.

“MainStreet DeLand Association is a well-established asset to their community,” said Secretary Lee. “Their downtown district has helped cultivate a sense of place while also stimulating economic growth and prosperity.”

MainStreet DeLand Association in DeLand, Fl

 MainStreet DeLand Association became a Florida Main Street program in 1985, as one of the first five communities accepted when the Florida Main Street program launched. Over the last 34 years, MainStreet DeLand Association has seen tremendous success. In 1997, MainStreet DeLand Association received the coveted Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center. It was the first GAMSA award to be received within the state of Florida.

Since their program began, MainStreet DeLand Association has reported more than $101.8 million in public and private reinvestment, 668 new jobs, 161 new businesses and more than 35,000 volunteer hours.

MainStreet DeLand Association will be hosting the Fridays Before Christmas event series throughout the month of December. Held in downtown DeLand’s Chess Park every Friday before the Christmas holiday, these free events allow children to write letters to Santa and partake in holiday craft projects, such as painting ornaments. The event series began in 2017 with help from a merchant-based Christmas subcommittee. Last year, the Fridays Before Christmas events welcomed an estimated 150 children. 

“We don’t just start over every year,” said Executive Director Wayne Carter. “MainStreet DeLand Association and our volunteer force continue to build on our successes to better meet the needs of both the organization and the community.”

For more information about MainStreet DeLand Association, visit mainstreetdeland.org or facebook.com/MainStreetDeLand. For more information about the Florida Main Street program, visit floridamainstreet.com or facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.

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About Florida Main Street                                                                                                          Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 46 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach©, Florida Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation through the revitalization of Florida’s downtowns – the community’s heart and soul.