In one of the most significant fundraising achievements for a memorial to Warren County’s fallen soldiers, the Tribute to Veterans Memorial organization has earned $20,000 of donations from The Missouri Bank.Memorial board President Rick Mantione said the bank had agreed to match every dollar of future donations, up to $20,000. Since then, he said the memorial group has outpaced that target, thereby raising more than $40,000 since striking the deal. The bank’s contribution opened the door for other businesses to donate, he said.“This truly is a community effort,” Mantione told a gathering of supporters at the bank March 30.The Missouri Bank President and CEO Edward Buscher said the matching funds were a way to encourage other organizations to contribute.“Rick’s been working the whole community, but it came to a bit of a standstill; things get stale and old,” Buscher said. By agreeing to match funds, Mantione could “go into the community and say, ‘If you donate $1,000, I can get the bank to match everything,’” he explained.The Tribute to Veterans Memorial will be built on Veterans Memorial Parkway in Warrenton. It will feature an 18-foot-long wall listing the names of Warren County citizens who lost their lives in conflicts dating back to World War I.Paving blocks that will form a walkway around the memorial are another major source of fundraising. The pavers can include a message of support or remembrance of a family member in exchange for a $150 donation per brick. A link to purchase the pavers online and more information about the memorial can be found at tributetoveteransmemorial.org.

A group of donors and veterans memorial supporters gather outside The Missouri Bank in Warrenton. The bank matched $20,000 in contributions, for a total of $40,000, to support a memorial for fallen Warren County soldiers. Record photo/Adam Rollins.