Marathon Pundit: Proposed Tampico Reagan statue only $10K short of fundraising goal

Thursday, May 09, 2013

Proposed Tampico Reagan statue only $10K short of fundraising goal

Proposed Tampico Reagan Statue

When Ronald Reagan and his family returned to Tampico, Illinois in 1919--"Dutch" was born there eight years earlier--he would play on a Civil War cannon in what is now Ronald Reagan Park.

The cannon was melted down for a World War II metal drive.

For several years the volunteers with the Tampico Area Historical Society have been raising money to build a bronze statue of a young Reagan standing on top of that cannon.

Sadly, the Chicago Reagan apartment was torn down last month by the University of Chicago. But Reaganphiles can get behind a new cause--getting the Tampico statue built. In a telephone interview this afternoon, Joan Johnson, the president of the TAHS, told me that her group needs "only $10,000 more for the statue project, plus a bit more for landscaping expenses."

Bricks for the statue's walkway can be sponsored for $100 each, pavers, which Johnson told me are "three times the size of a brick," can be sponsored for $1,000. Of course you can put your name on those bricks or pavers.

Do you need another option? You can simply donate here. Or click here for more information.

Johnson, who had to cut our interview short because some visitors had just arrived at the Reagan Birthplace, is excited about the statue project and she ended the call on an optimistic note. "We sure hope to have this done by the end of the summer," she said.

I hope so too.

And while a brick or a paver may not seem to be the ideal Mother's Day present, such a gift is perfect for the mom who has everything.

Reagan Park, February 6, 2011

On a personal note, you'll notice the name 'Logan' at the base of the cannon. That's in honor of General John A. Logan, a Civil War general from Illinois who also served as a senator and a member of Congress. He was one of the originators of the Memorial Day holiday. My good friend ThirdWaveDave, Dave Logan, who was distantly related to the general, passed away last summer.

Related posts: