WASHINGTON-The National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, and Osram Sylvania have joined the NPS in a total relighting project for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

The project, marking the 100th Anniversary of Osram Sylvania and the 200th anniversary of the inauguration of the nation's third president, will result in an energy savings of some 80 percent and will provide residents and visitors alike with an enhanced view of the building.

The work began in July and will culminate this month with a ceremony showcasing the freshly illuminated memorial.

"The public will see the memorial as never before, thanks to this generous donation from Sylvania and the national Park Foundation which will allow the National Park Service to showcase this historic icon while substantially improving energy, public safety and the Park Service's ability to sustain and care for the memorial," said Arnold Goldstein, National Park Superintendent for the monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.

Sylvania's donation, valued in excess of $800,000, was made to the National Park Foundation.

Sylvania Metalarc® high-intensity discharge (HID) metal halide lamps will be the primary light source used in the new scheme, supplemented by LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, which last up to 100,000 hours.