USS Arizona Memorial Fundraising

At the State Capitol yesterday, Governor Janet Napolitano – the national chair of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund – led the kickoff of a grassroots effort to continue raising money necessary for the restoration of the Visitors Center at the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. The Center is sinking into the harbor. Experts assessed the situation and determined that, after years of structural erosion & overcrowding, the Center has been damaged beyond repair. The facility will only be able to safely accommodate visitors for about 4 to 9 more years.

Replacing the Center will cost approximately $34 million. Arizona has committed to raise $3 million toward that total, as part of the nationwide campaign. So far, through the major gifts campaign, the effort has raised about half the needed amount.

Gov. Napolitano said, “The Memorial is an important part of our history here in Arizona, as well as important part of American history. Now we start our Grass Roots Campaign to gather the contributions to meet our goal. It gives the people of Arizona the opportunity to accept the challenge to remember and honor the USS Arizona, as well as the 600,000 veterans in our state.”

Those wishing to participate & contribute to the effort can find more info at http://www.pearlharbormemorial.com/.