Grand prize winner Chris Dube receives his check from Commission Chairman Ralph T. Basiliere, while third prize winner James Dupre receives his check from Commissioner Linda Gambino Baxter. Not pictured is second place winner Amanda Basler. (Photograph courtesy of Haverhill Exchange Club.)
Update: The planned Friday, Sept. 11 dedication has been cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.
Landscaping is complete at Haverhill’s new Vietnam Veterans Memorial thanks, in part, to a raffle that concluded this week.
Chris Dube was the top prize winner—taking away $5,000 during the raffle drawing Monday night. Amanda Basler came in second, winning $3,000, and James DuPre won $2,000 during the livestream event taking place at Maria’s Family Restaurant in downtown Haverhill.
“The Commission is delighted see three of our hard-working coalition partners get a much-needed boost during these difficult times,” said Ralph T. Basiliere, chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ad Hoc Commission.
The raffle was originally planned for spring, but was sidelined like many events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project began two year ago when former City Councilor Louis Fossarelli recommended the city’s memorial be moved from near the Basiliere Bridge, downtown, to a new site. That original monument had been permanently damaged by a vandal, but it was moved to Mill Brook Park until its replacement was installed recently with other elements. Basiliere said the old monument was solemnly buried on site.