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Date: 12/2/2020
GRANBY – A group of residents are coming together to raise money to construct and install a memorial honoring local veterans who have served their country.
Jason Richard, who serves on the town’s veteran memorial committee, said the project began around 2012 after he returned from serving in Afghanistan. “Initially, when I got back from Afghanistan I was asked by a Selectboard member to put it together,” he said.
While some of the original committee members have changed over the years, Richard said the committee has essentially “stayed the same.” The purpose of the project, he said, was to build a memorial using no taxpayer money. “We wanted to build a project that didn’t involve using taxpayer funds, we wanted to raise it all ourselves,” he said.
Richard said the architect who designed the plans for the memorial project was a former University of Massachusetts graduate who studied architecture. “He designed it with our input. He does all our designs and plans for free,” he said.
The plans, he said have changed from the initial design. “The latest design change was made to get it done quicker, we shrank everything [and] made it smaller so it wouldn’t cost as much to build,” he said.
One aspect that has changed, he said, was the location for where the completed project will be installed. Richard said they always wanted it to be in the center of town. “We thought that was the best place,” he said. “The location changed a couple of times, but it was still in that general area.” Ultimately, he said the project was “moved back just outside of the historical district.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard said the organization hosted three events a year to raise money for the project. “We’ve been doing at least three fundraisers a year until COVID. The church, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was gracious enough to let us use their facilities, we did a chicken barbecue in the summer,” he said. “We did 5K runs in the fall and a roast beef or pork loin dinner in early January.”
However, while the virus slowed down their fundraising efforts it didn’t stop them completely. Richard said the generosity of the town has helped them continue to move toward finishing the project throughout the pandemic. “We got some cash donations through Sapowsky Farms, they put out a cash barrel and we got $600 or $700 over the past six months,” he said.
In a newsletter posted on the Granby Veterans Memorial Facebook page, the committee informed the public that a total of $172,000 had been raised by the Friends of the Granby Veterans, the non-profit organization associated with the project. The letter said $53,000 had been spent on “bronze lettering, service logos, plaques and the services of an architect and grant writer.” This left a total of $132,000 saved for the construction of the project.
The work, he said, was not over just yet though. “We anticipate needing another $50,000,” he said.
However, he said due to the project being built on town land, the total project costs were “hard to forecast.” Richard said, “Because it’s a project that’s being funded by a non-profit, but being built on town land, any work must be put out to the town bid process. It makes it a little more complicated, but we’re still doing our best.”
If all goes well and the group is awarded one or more of the grants they applied for, they anticipate presenting the final design plans to the planning board by the spring of 2021.
On Feb. 6, 2021, the Friends of the Granby Veterans will host a drive through roast beef dinner fundraiser at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church to continue raising money for the project. Additional details will be found on the Granby Veterans Memorial Facebook page as the event nears.
Those interested in updates or making a donation can do so online at https://www.granbyveteransmemorial.org/?fbclid=IwAR1cZOcXEZUGwKuKiZyWYrITsN2cUpnkctourJW580RBuvKJAQAPy3W0wlQ.