The official start for a fundraising campaign to build a new memorial to honor deceased military veterans is off to a great start. Carpenters Local 3202 presented a $10,000 check to the VFW Post 2180 during the unions annual picnic Saturday. The proposed memorial project will be funded through donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. Grants are also being sought to help offset some of the expense. The memorial will be designed to honor local veterans who were killed in action, missing in action and prisoners of war and will complement an existing memorial located outside the Warren County Courthouse. The donation from Carpenters Local 3202 will cover the cost of seven flagpoles. Matt Flake, Local 3202 president, said the local union organization had been using the VFW Hall for at least 50 years for its meetings and annual picnic and was appreciative of the support it had received over the years. Local 3202 will soon be nonexistent as it is one of four unions consolidating into a larger group to be located in Wentzville. “We wanted to leave something behind for the community after 55 years in existence,” Flake said. “They had hosted us for 50 of the 55 years. We thought it would be a good idea to donate to this memorial since we had so many past members who were veterans.” Tom Carter, VFW Post 2180 member, said the donation was significant to get the fundraising campaign rolling. While a fundraising goal is unknown, he acknowledged it proves the community will be interested in the project “They have done a wonderful thing here,” Carter said referring to the Carpenters Union. “They were interested as soon as they heard a steering committee was looking into this. When they got wind of that, they actually contacted us. They really wanted to participate in it and it’s in a very significant way. They have been super. Many of them are veterans so they have a real appreciation for this.” While the VFW is spearheading the memorial project and fundraising effort, Carter emphasized community support is needed. “It’s not about us, the VFW, it’s really for the community,” he said. “We want to show our respect and honor to the people who paid the sacrifice. They have families still affected by it. We wanted to leave something for the past generations.” The steering committed initially discussed expanding the current memorial at the courthouse, though they looked at alternatives once the county moved forward with the administration building project. The memorial will likely be built near the corner of Highway 47 and Mockingbird Lane, a highly visible location sought by steering committee members, on county property where the new administration building is currently under construction. In May, Carter and other VFW members first approached the county commission about building the memorial near the county facility. Since then, commissioners have offered ideas and suggestions and spent a day with committee members visiting memorial sites in St. Charles County. Committee members are still finalizing a design concept for the memorial. “We are very preliminary on this, but we’ve been trying to get a lot of ideas and involvement from a lot of different people,” Carter said. Carter is hopeful work on the memorial project can begin next summer. The administration building project is expected to be finished in April though a time frame for when county offices will be relocated there is unknown. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation can drop off a contribution at a locked drop box outside the VFW Hall, located at 515 Dryden in Warrenton.