Thaindian News

Apr 26 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Trust for Public Land conservation group has managed to raise the money needed to keep the land behind the Hollywood sign out of the hands of developers. Private funds made up 6.7 million dollars of the 12.5 million dollar total cost, the state of California raised 3.2 million dollars, and local funds made 2.7 million of the cost to save the 138 acres of land.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke his praises of the public and private partnership which raised the money to save the sign. Thanks also went out to “Playboy” founder, Hugh Heffner, who donated the final 900,000 dollars which was needed. Hefner, who calls the sign “Hollywood’s Eiffel Tower,” put the effort over the top.

Schwarzenegger called it “the Hollywood ending we hoped for. It’s a symbol of dreams and opportunity,” Schwarzenegger said of the sign. “The Hollywood sign will welcome dreamers, artists and Austrian bodybuilders for generations to come.”

Schwarzenegger also made mention that all 50 states, and 10 foreign countries, as well other individuals helped to make this possible. Those people included J. Paul Getty heir Aileen Getty, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Hefner. “My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy,” Hefner said.

The land itself was quite historical. It was originally purchased by industrialist Howard Hughes in 1940. He had planned to build a home for his girlfriend, Ginger Rogers, but the two broke up and the Hughes estate later sold on 2002 to a group of investors from Chicago. The property had been zones for luxury homes and was put on the market two years ago for 22 million.