BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Raleigh County Veterans Museum came together at the Solid Waste Authority after recent storms knocked a large tree onto the Veterans Cemetery, taking out the maintenance building. They knew they wanted to do something to help.
“We’ll have to put a new roof on it and fix it back up. We’ve already replaced the flagpole, but we still have steps and handrails to put in and work on the statues,” said museum president Ron Hedrick. “Some of the headstones are leaning. We want to do that properly and fix those. So all this takes funds.”
However, he says the main goal of the fundraising is to put money into the Beckley Area Foundation perpetual fund.
“So the museum will be taken care of forever,” said Hedrick. “And the bigger we can make that fund, obviously, the more the income from that fund will take care of that cemetery, even after I’m gone.”
Visit the Beckley Area Foundation website and click on the “Veteran’s Cemetery Fund” link, where your donation is matched dollar for dollar until June 30, 2024.
“It’ll tell you about the cemetery and what’s going on and how we’re taking care of it and stuff like that,” the museum president said. “And it’s a great place to donate. If we reach the $5000, then we’ll get $5,000 added to that. That’ll bring the fund up above $20,000 — which is pretty good for such a short time.”
Many of the donors have parents or grandparents who are veterans. Hedrick calls it a blessing that we have such a giving community.
“They appreciate the effort and they want to help,” he said. “We’re honored to be partnered with the American Legion (Post 32) and taking care of this for the city and the county and the veterans that are buried there.”
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