Jesse Rivera, [email protected]
ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING — The “Let’s Get Lit” Campaign is a local fundraiser working to save and preserve the iconic historical signs that are neon for businesses in Downtown Rock Springs. The campaign was first launched when Joe’s Liquor & Bar partnered with The Rock Springs Urban Renewal Agency in June 2023.
With the surge of LED lights, there has been a drastic decline in neon signage across the country. With this, many groups of individuals are working together to save and preserve these bright urban signs we all know and love, which have been such a beautiful part of our history. Joe’s Liquor & Bar and the Rock Springs Urban Renewal Agency (URA) have been working tirelessly on the “Let’s Get Lit” Campaign to help restore neon signage to many local businesses.
The “Let’s Get Lit’ Campaign started with Joe’s Liquor & Bar, one of the businesses that have been trying to restore their historic neon sign. Angela Gaensslen, the owner of Joe’s Liquor & Bar, has been working on their top-of-building neon sign since buying the business in 2005. The historic sign is showing its age and now needs to be re-wired and refurbished. Joe’s has been taking donations through a website called Crowd Funding, which is funded by unused COVID-19 money.
The repairs for their sign were on the upper end of $12,000. Even though Joe’s did not quite meet their original goal, they did raise a grand total of $8,882.00, which was 73% of their original goal. Though Joe’s Campaign has come to an end and is no longer accepting donations, the good news is that they did raise enough to get their sign fixed, which has already begun. In a recent interview with Gaensslen, she expressed to Wyo4News how neon lights are truly a piece of art and how preserving them is an important part of the city’s cultural heritage.
The Rock Springs URA is currently working to raise funds to revive other neon signage in the Downtown Rock Springs area. Residents can call the URA concerning donation information at (307) 352-1434.
