STAR TREK
ORIGINAL SET TOUR
Ticonderoga native and Trek superfan James Cawley has spent years recreating the sets and producing “fan films” extending the life of the Star Trek – the Original Series. With the help of Ti-Alliance over the past 5 years James was able to expand his passion into a viable business here in Ticonderoga that is becoming a significant contributor to the local economy.
In 2015 Ti-Alliance provided seed financing and management services to Cawley and his band of volunteers to create the first Trekonderoga Star Trek Convention. We provided additional support in 2016 & 2017 as Trekonderoga grew from attendance of a few hundred Trekkies to nearly a thousand. On their own last year, Trek had it’s biggest year ever bringing almost 1,400 visitors to Ticonderoga over a long weekend in August and contributing significantly to Ticonderoga’s annual economy.
In 2017, through a generous donation to Ti-Alliance from Deb Ryan, the Alliance was able to purchase the Trek building (formerly a grocery store and a Dollar Store) and provide a mortgage to James Cawley to secure a permanent home for the Original Series Set Tours. The Set Tours are now open year round and continue to expand with special events (many featuring visits from William Shatner), fan film production, and other potential new Trek-based “enterprises”.
This project is an excellent example of how Ti-Alliance can assist local entrepreneurs utilize the tools of a Local Development Corporation to bring together local business owners and private investors to the benefit of both, and our local economy. Warp speed ahead!
