Memorial Foundation Report
At the time of this article, we are at 90 non-line-of-duty names for the 2025 memorial service. We have administrative determinations on two line-of-duty names, but others are still pending. Save the dates of October 4th and 5th for the 2025 services. We are currently working to secure missing family contact information with some of the names. The goal is to send out formal notifications to the agency and family of each person being honored by late February. In the next FFAM Magazine, I will have the LODD names that will be honored and the non-line-of-duty names that will be recognized in the 2025 services. You will be asked to review that list and let us know if we have missed someone. A reminder that we will honor names from 2024 and any that we missed from 2023 or 2022. Non-Line of Duty names that pass in 2025 will be honored in 2026.
Some changes are coming with engraving. We previously allowed up to 58 total characters on the service wall for name and department. That is being reduced to 38 as we have run into some serious overlap of line spacing into the future ability to complete 3 vertical columns per panel. We have had to work creatively around the current exceptions to this but will not be repeated going forward. Forms on the website are being revised and we will work with you on revisions if you have used an older form. I will reconfirm cut-off dates for all engraving, memorial shirts and flags in the next article but as of right now, it is July 1. We moved dates ahead twice for the 2024 services due to late notices and a new mailing address but neither of those will apply this year. We are setting and holding baselines going forward.
We have reached attendance numbers in the past two years that chair rental has become our 2nd largest service expense behind printing. Your Foundation is going to purchase 500 folding chairs to eliminate this expense which will eventually fully pay for the new chairs. We are also reviewing an option in going to one printed program that will work for both services. Those attending the Candlelight service on Saturday evening will be asked to bring their program back for the Sunday morning service. A piece of good news, for those who may need a hotel room, you will not have to compete with a Mizzou Football game as October 4th is that is a Bye week for them.
A special thank you to Larry Eggen and friends involved in a BBQ meal fund-raising project in their community for the museum. They raised $1,233 and presented a check at the December 1, FFAM Board Meeting. We continue to meet every 4-6 weeks, largely by Zoom call. We just completed a major revision to the memorial and future museum By-Laws. This was their first major revision since originally adopted. During our December 11th Zoom call, Chief Hoover announced a private donation of $25,000 from an individual toward the work in the Museum which wanted to remain anonymous for now. All I can reveal in this article is they have been a long-time supporter of all the work that we do in Kingdom City.
Both of the 2025 services are going to be recorded, and the Sunday Service will be live-streamed. Unlike the two previous services, we will be able to get you this information well in advance vs. days before. The last two services have provided more delivery of honors and recognition to families and require more logistical support. That said, we are asking for help in advance of and day(s) of each service. If you have an interest in doing so, please contact us. A reminder that our mailing address is 5550 Dunn Drive, Kingdom City, MO 65262. For email please use info@mofirememorial-museum.org This is a shared platform for checking on messages, so please give it a few days to respond. If it is urgent, please call me at 314 709 0760.
Thank you for your time and continued support of your memorial and future museum.
FFAM
