MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. — The federal government shutdown is entering its third week. Mammoth Cave, the only national park in Kentucky, still can not provide guided tours, and cannot pay many of its rangers. But a local nonprofit, called Friends of Mammoth Cave , is hoping to keep the park afloat by donating its funds to help keep the visitor center and parts of the park open.

The Friends of Mammoth Cave has been working to help the longest running cave system in the world for over two decades.

Jen Klinglesmith, the executive director of the organization, said, “Next year, it will be 25 years.”

Now, they’re hoping to preserve tourism of the cave during the shutdown. They want to help keep it open by donating thousands of dollars from funds and donations they get from residents.

Klinglesmit

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