Veterans raising money to remove graffiti on memorial

Vandals took a black marker to Des Plaines' recently refurbished veterans memorial, forcing officials to raise money to help remove the graffiti before Veterans Day.

It will cost $5,000 to remove graffiti left on the walls and floor of the Lake Park Memorial Pavilion on Oct. 2 and to paint the wall. While the park district will hire someone to take it off before Nov. 11, veterans say they want to reimburse the district.

"It's a shame that this kind of stuff has to be going on," said Steve Schaefer, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2992 commander, who estimates $1,000 has already been raised.

The incident could prompt placement of cameras to catch vandals in the act should the behavior be repeated. Any money collected over the $5,000 goal could be used for that, Schaefer said.

Just three years ago, Schaefer ran a fundraiser of a different kind for the pavilion.

He led a committee that included American Legion Post 36 and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 311, which raised $35,000 through private contributions.

That money paid for new flagpoles, new lighting and landscaping, bronze medallions honoring the various military branches and two memorials -- one for World War I veterans and another for Vietnam veterans. It marked the first improvements since the pavilion was built in 1975.

City officials ask that contributions be made to the Lake Park Memorial Pavilion Committee, 1291 Oakwood Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60016.

For more information, call Schaefer at (847) 452-6991.