NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The Department of Government Efficiency has rescinded $500,000 in Senate discretionary funds from Lucy the Elephant in Margate.
"It’s just devastating," said Lucy the Elephant's Executive Director Richard Helfant.
Helfant says the grant, gifted by Sen. Cory Booker last August, was earmarked for interior restoration of the 145-year-old, six-story National Historic Landmark.
"The HAVC system inside of her is over 50 years old, and it's being held together with glue and bubble gum,” Helfant said. “Her fire suppression system, which is so vital to her long-term future and her safety, is, you know, it's over 50 years old, and we were going to do upgrades to that and do some repairs to the plaster and refinish the floors."
Helfant says this move impacts not just them, but every organization that was benefiting from the senatorial appropriations across the board.
“For us, it was repairs, but what about those organizations that were relying on that money for survival, for payroll, for supplies, for rent, for utilities?”
Helfant says The Save Lucy Committee, a self-funded nonprofit, is not taking this lying down. They are committed to moving forward with Lucy’s upkeep and maintenance.
"We are going to figure out other ways to find money through fundraising, through other grants that may be out there at the state level," Helfant said.
“Our beloved Lucy has always endured and will continue to do so due to your generosity and unwavering support. You are her rock, and together we will prevail through this,” Helfant wrote in a statement.
Lucy was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. She is the oldest roadside attraction in the United States and was voted the No. 1 roadside attraction in America last year by the readers of USA Today. Voting is underway for the same title this year.
Donations can be made on Lucy the Elephant’s website.