DAR Web Site Wins International Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The recently re-designed Daughters of the American Revolution Web site (www.dar.org) won the top honor in the 2004 American Society of Professional Communicators (ASPC) Masters Communications Award in the Electronic Media – Web Sites category. The DAR Web Site was chosen as the winning Web site among 112 other entries in the category.

“We are honored to have our Web site awarded such a distinguished prize for communications,” says DAR President General Linda Tinker Watkins. “We recognize that the Internet is now the primary medium of communication and in order to be a relevant organization in today’s society, DAR must continue to improve its Web presence.”
 
The DAR Web Site features information on the 113-year old women’s lineage and service organization including the work of the society, how to become a member, and educational opportunities provided by the DAR. The site also describes the DAR National Headquarters, located in downtown Washington, D.C., which houses one of the nation’s premier genealogical libraries, one of the foremost collections of pre-industrial American decorative arts, Washington’s largest concert hall, and an extensive collection of early American manuscripts and imprints. Each of these four headquarter components is highlighted in its own section on the Web site.

In the summer of 2003, DAR unveiled its first re-design of the public Web site since the site was originally launched in 1996. Through the work of the headquarters redesign team of Bren Landon, April Watkins and Victor Kunze, the DAR Web Site is now more dynamic, includes new navigational features, is better geared toward the general public and has a refreshed visual design.

The Masters Communication Award recognizes exemplary work and exceptional achievement across all professional communications. Participants in the international competition include professional communicators working for some of the world's largest corporations, not-for-profit agencies or as freelance communicators.

Also receiving recognition in the 2004 ASPC competition was Bren Landon, from the DAR Public Relations Department, who received an Honorable Mention in the brochure category for her work on the DAR Private Events Brochure. The brochure was created to increase public visibility of the rental opportunities at DAR National Headquarters. The headquarters, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the most elegant and cost-effective rental venues in Washington, D.C.

For additional information and a complete list of winners, visit the ASPC Web site www.asprocomm.com. To view the award winning DAR Web site, visit www.dar.org.

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