NCVM board enters phase two of brick project

Former New Century Veterans Memorial Board Chair Reta McCallum announced the board is beginning phase two of an engraved brick campaign to replace the sidewalks surrounding the veterans memorials Tuesday, Nov. 12.

McCallum said the board is hoping to complete the middle sidewalk between the two veterans memorials with the engraved brick.

The bricks are four by eight inches and allow for up to three lines of engraving with a maximum of 18 letters per line. They may contain the purchasers name, multiple names, words of support or wisdom, or the name, rank, branch of service to honor someone serving or who has served, but is not eligible to have their name on the wall. She said the cost of the bricks will stay at $75.

“Basically anyone who wants to show their support and basically say ‘I support the veterans’ can purchase a brick that we have engraved and installed,” McCallum said. “It started out that it was just going be veterans on the bricks and them some people were saying ‘I want to show that I support the veterans also.’”

She added she and current board member Bobbie Jo Marrufo are serving as the brick campaign committee which also helps screen the engravings.

McCallum said the board has 10 bricks which have needed to be placed for over a year and half, but it does not make fiscal sense to place so few. She said there are currently about 120 engraved bricks which were dedicated in July of 2018.

“It is probably going to take 250 engraved bricks to finish that center sidewalk,” McCallum said. “We are looking at this campaign, we will call it campaign number two, we want sell 125 bricks, but I think it can be so much more than that.”

The former chairman said the last day to order an engraved brick will be Dec. 31.

Those interested in purchasing a brick can request a brick form by calling the NCVM board at 940-456-0655 or sending an email to toby@grahamattorney.com.

For the full story, see the Saturday, Nov. 16 edition of The Graham Leader.