Contact: Austin Auclair Traipse Austin@Traipse.co
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2019 COMMEMORATION, AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ PARTNERS WITH TRAIPSE TO PROMOTE NEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAIL OF STAUNTON AND AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Staunton community partners also join to help create trail content and connect local voices and experts.
Traipse has been named as a recipient of the American Evolution™ Marketing Grant Program which will aid in promoting Traipse’s trail of sites significant to African-American history in Staunton and surrounding Augusta County, Virginia.
The trail and the content within will be managed using Traipse, a free, Staunton-based smartphone app for “puzzle hunt” tours of local history and businesses. Traipse’s puzzle hunt function will be utilized to encourage visitors to engage with each location through questions that can only be answered by physically traveling to each site. Most importantly, at each stop, complementary information will be given to visitors allowing them to learn more about the location through articles, video, and audio interviews.
“We’re excited to build something that highlights the diverse history of the area, connects visitors with that history in an interesting way, and encourages engagement with the local community and present-day issues,” said Darren Smith, Founder, President and CEO of Traipse.
The content accessible via the Traipse app will be created in concert with multiple organizations and community representatives whose voices are essential to the development of a tour that resonates with the local community and with visitors exploring the area.
"The Staunton African-American community's history and contributions to the Virginian way of life have often gone unheralded. We're looking forward to seeing this heritage trail coalesce and open a dialog around issues the African-American community still face in the present day," Susie King, Founder, Staunton-Augusta County African American Research Society.
ABOUT TRAIPSE
Founded in 2014 and based in Staunton, Virginia, Traipse is a free smartphone application that leads users on a walking tour of landmarks and local businesses. At each stop on a Traipse tour, users get information about that site and are challenged with a location-dependent riddle or puzzle. Traipse “gamifies” the experience of visiting a tourist attraction or leisure destination, or attending an event while also involving local businesses and organizations. Traipse is freely available for iOS (Apple) and Android devices and can be downloaded at https://www.Traipse.co/AA-Heritage-Tour.
About the 2019 Commemoration
The 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution™, highlights events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. Featured programs, events, and legacy projects will position Virginia as a leader in education, tourism, and economic development. American Evolution commemorates the ongoing journey toward the key ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. The 2019 Commemoration is a public, private partnership with support from the Virginia General Assembly, Founding Partner Dominion Resources and Virginia Colony Partners Altria Group and TowneBank.
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