The Mount Olive Veterans Memorial served as the backdrop for the presentation of a $1,000 donation from Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 to the Mount Olive Veterans Memorial Committee. The money is being used to add a memorial to the site. Post 103 Commander William ‘Bill’ Manuel, left, makes the presentation to committee Chairman Steve Wiggins, third from left. From left are Manuel; Ray Harrell committee member; Wiggins; and Anthony Wynn, Post 103 second vice commander. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
The Mount Olive Veterans Memorial Committee’s successful fundraising efforts have not only raised enough money to order a $20,500 addition to the Veterans Memorial, but to carry a balance to put toward a second addition in the near future.
The memorial has been ordered, and the production time will take between three and six months, said Mount Olive Town Clerk Sherry Davis during the committee’s Wednesday, Oct. 25, meeting.
“I just had the best feeling come over me when you said that,” committee Chairman Steve Wiggins said. “We started this thing and in less than a year we resurrected this committee to finish that Veterans Memorial.
“And here we are finishing it and thanks to (committee member) Martin (Weeks) steering us to the way we ought to go — do a segment at the time — we are going to finish a segment of it within a year. We are going to keep on until we complete the rest of it.”
Following the meeting, Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 made a $1,000 donation toward the project.
The committee was updated as well on the fundraiser.
For a $20 donation, people receive a free ticket to a God and Country concert featuring Gaylon Pope and Sweetwater at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at the First Pentecostal Holiness Church. The church has donated use of the church for the concert
The concert will follow the annual Veterans Day ceremony that will be held at the memorial at 2 p.m Sunday, Nov. 12.
Traditionally, the ceremony is held at 3 p.m., but is being held earlier to give people time to get from the ceremony to the concert.
As of the Wednesday meeting, 422 tickets had been distributed, leaving just 78. Committee members said they will work to obtain donations needed to hand out those tickets as well.
The ticket stubs will be used for a drawing to give away door prizes.
The drawings will be held Saturday afternoon, Nov. 11, during the third annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs in the Southern Bank Parklet.
You do not have to be present to win.
Also, the committee is organizing a raffle for a $1,200 stainless steel gas grill, donated by Parker Gas Co., that will be given away next April during the N.C. Pickle Festival.
For tickets send an email to Davis at secretary@townofmountolivenc.com or call her at 919-658-9539, ext. 106.
Dedicated on Nov. 10, 2014, the memorial has never been completed as originally envisioned. The three stones that make up the memorial are inscribed with the names of local veterans who have died in wars dating back to World War I.
The original memorial committee had gone inactive, but earlier this year it was reactivated with an eye toward completing the memorial by making two additions.
The first, which has been ordered, will be a memorial wall with a bald eagle perched on top. The base and eagle will be about 6-feet, 8-inches tall. The eagle is 40-inches tall.
It will be placed near the front of the memorial site on the Mount Olive Housing Authority office side.
The committee has made a $10,222.32 downpayment on the memorial wall addition to McLamb Monument Co. of Goldsboro, leaving $10,221.31 to be paid upon completion.
And once that is paid, the committee will have an estimated $8,129 to put toward the second memorial wall that will include a stone on which the emblems of the six branches of the U.S. military will be displayed — Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Space Force.
A bald eagle statue will be on top.
It will be placed near the front of the site on the North Chestnut Street side.
Also, pavers are still being sold for the Walk of Honor at the memorial site.
The costs are: $250 for a 6-inch by 9-inch paver (up to three lines of 20 characters); $400 for a 9-inch by 9-inch paver (small logo and up to three lines of 20 characters); $700 for a 9-inch by 9-inch paver (corporate logo only); and $1,000 for a 12-inch by 12-inch paver (donor submits design).
For more information, or for tickets send an email to Davis at secretary@townofmountolivenc.com or call her at 919-658-9539, ext. 106.
