Elks Lodge Donates $1K to Haverhill Vietnam Memorial Commission

Fran Wilson (left) from the Haverhill Elks presents a check to Mayor James J. Fiorentini and Ralph Basiliere for the city's Vietnam Memorial at Mill Brook Park. (Courtesy photograph)

Haverhill’s new Vietnam Memorial is well on the way to reaching its fundraising goal thanks to a new donation from the city’s Lodge of the Elks No. 165, a member of the Memorial Commission tells WHAV.

Elks member Fran Wilson presented a check for $1,115 to Commission chairman Ralph Basiliere and Mayor James J. Fiorentini on Monday. Basiliere tells WHAV the donation is the largest monetary gift the group has accepted since it began collecting last fall.

“The Massachusetts Elks have a long history of service to veterans and Haverhill has proven no exception,” said Basiliere. The funds were collected via a “pass the hat” donation drive at the Summer Street lodge.

The funds are earmarked for phase II of the Memorial renovation at Mill Brook Park, to include installation of benches, landscaping and other veterans’ remembrance pieces.

Donations for the Memorial are now accepted online through the City of Haverhill’s revamped website at cityofhaverhill.org.

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