The non-profit community board that oversees the Warren County Tribute to Veterans Memorial (TTVM) in Warrenton is seeking additional community support to care for the monument that honors all military service members from Warren County who sacrificed their lives during a time of war.

The TTVM Board is asking for individuals, groups or businesses to consider becoming sponsors who help maintain the centerpieces of the memorial site, consisting of nine dedicated flags (and their associated hardware), a memorial wall, and statue display recognizing families who lost loved ones. The nonprofit memorial has been on its back foot for funding ever since the COVID pandemic put a complete stop on fundraising events for multiple years, said board member Rick Mantione.

“For quite a bit of time, we couldn’t do large group fundraising activities,” Mantione said. “Prices are going up, and it’s really amazing how much money it takes to maintain a place like this, to keep it first class.”

Due to outdoor exposure and rough weather, the flags at the memorial and the hardware attaching them to the poles all get worn out over time and need to be replaced, Mantione explained. The memorial has separate flags for each of the seven branches of the U.S. military, for veterans who are prisoners of war or missing in action, and the American flag.

Professional services also have to be paid for every year to polish and care for the bronze statues and the memorial wall’s bronze plates, in order to prevent them from tarnishing and deteriorating.

To help provide this care for the veterans memorial, the TTVM Board is asking for community supporters to sign up for $250 sponsorships. Each sponsor can designate which of the memorial’s features they would like to contribute to. Two sponsors are needed for each flag, while a total of six sponsors are needed for the statues and memorial wall, said TTVM committee member Kathy Daly.

The sponsorships are meant to cover a year of expenses, Daly said. In return for their support, sponsors will be listed on the Tribute to Veterans Memorial website.

Daly commented that the TTVM organization carefully tracks all funding to ensure all donations are put to their correct and best use.

“This sponsorship program is our way of doing a fundraiser specifically for those (core features) so companies and individuals know specifically where their money goes,” Daly explained. She said the memorial currently has 13 sponsors and needs about a dozen more.

Daly noted that anyone who wants to support the veterans memorial, but can’t contribute $250, is welcome to give a donation for the nonprofit’s general fund, which pays for other expenses such as utilities, insurance, electrical features and some groundskeeping.

There are other ways to support the memorial as well, Daly added. The TTVM Board is currently selling crossbow raffle tickets for $10 each; and the organization regularly holds volunteer work days where community members can come help beautify or improve the memorial. The volunteer days are a particularly good opportunity for youth groups in search of service opportunities, Daly noted.

“We really appreciate the support from different youth groups. It’s great to have the kids come out and see what the memorial is and what it’s about,” Daly said.

Mantione added that as long as the veterans memorial can maintain stable funding, board members would like to continue making improvements to the site, and dream of having promotional signs along Interstate-70, although that’s very expensive to do.

Anyone wishing to become a Tribute to Veterans Memorial sponsor, or to donate, or to otherwise get involved with caring for the memorial, can contact Kathy Daly at 636-544-5210 or ksdaly@centurytel.net; or contact Beth Vincent at 636-578-2407 or bavincent@outlook.com.