The Flossmoor Veterans’ Memorial, Inc. is launching the next phase of its fundraising efforts with a commemorative engraved brick program at the Veterans’ Wall of Honor.
Proceeds from the brick sales are earmarked for possible additional construction costs as well as the installation and maintenance of bricks in the Wall of Honor Donor Plaza. This next fundraising endeavor follows a successful 20-month fundraising campaign to raise $100,000 for a Veterans’ Wall of Honor.
Retired Flossmoor Mayor Paul Braun, who serves as FVM’s president, commented that commemorative bricks have been of interest to Flossmoor residents since the not-for-profit corporation launched the Wall of Honor effort in September 2021.
“The Flossmoor Veterans’ Memorial brick program is dedicated to honoring and remembering our community’s veterans and will allow the organization to complete the construction of the Veterans’ Wall of Honor as well as assisting with site upkeep. What a terrific way to honor our veterans who have served our community and country so well!” Braun said.
“Our group continues to focus on seeking grants, major donor outreach and community events as we increase awareness of the nearly 1,000 Flossmoor veterans’ names that we’ve uncovered since 2021,” Braun said. “Opening the Donor Plaza to a brick fundraising campaign is another way to engage the community, to generate interest in the Wall of Honor, and to support our continued fundraising efforts.”
FVM’s website, https://flossmoorvets.square.site, allows users to reserve a brick directly from the online store and to complete the engraving online. For those who prefer to pay by cash or check, the website also offers a fillable reservation form that can be returned to FVM. Purchasers will be notified when their brick order has been placed and again when the brick has been installed in the Donor Plaza.
FVM expects to construct the Veterans’ Wall of Honor on a 9,500-square-foot parcel located north of Flossmoor Road and east of the Metra/CN tracks. The organization hopes to begin the Wall of Honor construction before winter.
The memorial was designed by Flossmoor architect Michael Matthys as a tribute to all current and former Flossmoor residents who are serving or have served our nation’s Armed Forces.
In addition to Braun, other corporate officers and members of the fundraising and communications subcommittees include John Beele, Kristine Condon, Richard Condon, Flossmoor Village Trustee Brian Driscoll, Jim Fornaciari, Josh Grenard, Robert Guilfoyle, Phil Lee, Flossmoor Village Clerk Gina LoGalbo, Tony Manos, Greg Mitchell, Erich Stockwell, and Calvin Young.
For more information, to donate, or to provide the name of a veteran to the group’s commemorative program booklet, visit: @honoringflossmoorvets on Facebook/Instagram; @FlossmoorVWH on X (formerly Twitter); the website https://flossmoorvets.square.site; or send a message to [email protected].
