Help needed to maintain Veterans Memorial
In order to provide for the long-term preservation and maintenance of the Flathead County Veterans Memorial, we have agreed that it is necessary to form a memorial board of directors composed of a representative from each of the active veteran, fraternal and civic organizations in the county.
To this end we have made contact with some of these organizations and most have agreed to participate. We would like to hear from other organizations who have not been contacted who wish to help.
We, along with volunteer help, have seen this worthwhile project from its conception, planning, construction and unveiling. In addition, we have organized and carried out fundraisers, sought donations for and raised funds to not only pay for the memorial but also for improvements such as the bronze tablets on the front of the memorial which list all of those county residents killed in combat, and a sound system that plays bugle calls, music and has a loud speaker system for special events.
In addition, we have paid for the annual maintenance of the memorial which includes tree sap removal, power washing, hand polishing and replacement of broken or unreadable bricks in the walkway. Our annual maintenance costs run about $3,500, which we have been paying for by the sale of bricks and donations.
Our agreement with the city requires us to pay for everything except the landscaping, lawn care and snow removal around the memorial. We have over 4,000 bricks left to sell and we felt that funds derived could be used to pay for required maintenance well into the future. Hopefully at some time in the future, perpetual care insurance or an annuity can be purchased, so that when all the bricks are sold the annual funds for maintenance can be assured.
Unfortunately, because of a tight money economy, we have had a serious decline in brick sales and donations. At this time we are in a deficit cash position so we cannot afford to advertise for brick sales and donations. This year to date our total brick sales and donations have only amounted to $1,600, which is well below the budget of $3,500 for maintenance and $1,500 for advertising. No one involved in the memorial is paid or receives compensation of any kind.
If you have been putting off the purchase of a brick, please consider doing so now. Bricks for active duty military, National Guard, Reserve and deceased veterans are available at half cost. If you would like to buy a brick or make a donation, please send the request or donation to Flathead County Veterans Memorial Fund, 241 S. Main St., Kalispell, MT 59901. If you have questions, call Chuck Olson at 253-1000 or Jack Heller at 844-3538.
As we are both getting long in the tooth and have been on this project since 2006, we intend to turn over the Veterans Memorial project to this board we are forming. We envision staying on board until we are assured that the new management system is functioning efficiently, which we hope will be on or about September 2014.
We wish to publicly thank all those volunteers, donors and brick purchasers who made this project a reality. The memorial is a truly wonderful tribute to those who have given so much to our country and its citizens. It is also a valuable addition for the valley-wide citizens and visitors who visit it. Thank you one and all!
Chuck Olson, of Kalispell, and Jack Heller, of Lakeside, represent the Flathead County Veterans Memorial Fund.